The Beauty is in the Flaw
by DarkLadyAthara
Summary: Michael's defection from Heaven causes another Angel to question her place in the battle ahead, so she follows him to Paradise Falls. There her shaky faith in the goodness of Humankind is confronted as are her feelings for Michael. M/OC some G/A
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legion (though I wish I did) except for Tessa and the plot tweaks I did :)**

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 1

At the moment Heaven was far from peaceful. A battle was coming, and there was no stopping it now. Already, it seemed, there had been a casualty, one that was a bitter blow to many of the angels preparing themselves for the onslaught ahead.

They had all been looking to Michael, their General, for guidance and for the strength to do what the Father ordered; orders that seemed to contradict everything they had believed until this point. It was easy to see that the Archangel was displeased with the task God had given him and the orders he had been forced to pass down to his soldiers. But none of them had ever expected him to disobey. It was unthinkable. As the first wave was deployed Michael's defection became known. Now, with Gabriel taking up the slack left by his brother, the Soldiers of Heaven who had yet to be summoned to the battlefield were preparing for what was to come.

All but one.

* * *

Michael stood silently regarding the pregnant woman in front of him.

"I told you not to do anything brave." Charlie's face was still white with fear from nearly being dragged out the window by the hoard of creatures outside. Before she could respond though, Kyle, a young black man with a serious bad boy look about him rushed into the diner portion of the Paradise Falls Gas'n'Grub. The adrenaline from the fight moments ago still pumping through his system, he smiled at the group in from of him.

"We got 'em runnin'!" The smile from the success of driving the creatures back fell from his face as he noticed a conspicuous absence. Mere moments ago, Howard, the upper middle-class man who had been so viciously attacked earlier that day had been pulled outside by the same creatures who had tried to take Charlie. The mournful casts on the faces of those around him dampened Kyle's mood immediately as he asked where Howard was. The only sound that answered him was that of the sobs coming from Howard's wife Sandra and 17 year-old daughter Audrey.

Kyle was soon followed by Bob, the crusty owner of the diner and Percy the cook with an obvious military past and a hook in the place of his left hand. Michael noticed their entry immediately and broke the emotion-filled silence as soon as the newcomers realized what happened.

"Someone needs to be on the roof." Percy was the first to volunteer but Bob held him back as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Hold on," he took a few steps toward Michael, intent on his desire for an explanation, "You better start talking." At once, every eye in the room was turned on the Stranger who had just effectively saved their lives. He turned and headed back to the office behind the kitchen, everyone following as he laid his weapons on the table in the center of the room. Tense moments passed before he spoke, his voice quiet and serious as his hands ran over the weapons arrayed before him.

"The first time God lost faith in Man he sent a flood. The second time . . . he sent what you see outside."

"You sayin' this is the Apocalypse...?" Percy was the first to speak, his voice incredulous. Michael turned his startling blue gaze to the cook.

"I'm saying this is an extermination." Michael could see a mix of dread and incredulity in the faces around him. "Those things outside are just vessels; they're possessed. The weakest willed are the easiest to turn." Next it was Kyle who interrupted, a similar doubt to Percy's apparent in his voice.

"Possessed by what? Demons?"

"No. No, by angels." The silence that met Michael's succinct, almost regretful answer was tangible. If the gazes fixed on him before were incredulous, that was nothing to the expressions he met now. Once again, Percy was the first to recover.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on, son. I don't know what book you been readin', but in my version, the angels are the good guys." The cook's gaze was once again squarely met by the stranger, the weight of his pronouncement echoed in the blue depths.

"Well, the truth, I'm afraid, is never that simple."

"Bullshit. Now I'm not a pastor, but I've never heard of no ice-cream man or old lady eating raw meat, jumping on the ceiling with baby teeth, so I don't know what the fuck you talking about!" Kyle's voice was full of doubt and he was bordering on losing his temper.

"Hold on. How come you know so much about them?" Bob's son Jeep who had been silent until now, looked at Michael with his guileless but concerned gaze. The rest eyed him suspiciously, but he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Because until last night, I was on their side." Jeep couldn't help but ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

"So you're sayin' . . ."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Yesterday I was fuckin' Santa Clause. I mean, you know this is crazy, right?" Bob interrupted Jeep, not at all convinced by what Michael was saying. "I mean, I don't even believe in God!" Michael merely shrugged his shoulders; not quite the reaction anyone expected from someone who claimed to be an angel.

"That's just fine, Bob. He doesn't believe in you either. He doesn't believe in any of this anymore." All that earned him were more dubious and even scandalized looks from the haggard group around him. Michael just continued to check over his weapons. Bob was struck dumb, any response he might have come up with gone. Percy was shaking his head, taking this more seriously than anyone else.

"I knew this day was coming. I just didn't think I'd be around to see it."

"Come on, Percy. What are we even talking about this for? Angels, and possessed people? It's not real! It's— " He couldn't even finish his sentence he was so worked up.

"Have you looked outside Bob? I mean, those people aren't exactly our regular customers."

"Wait, so are you here to protect us?" Audrey sat in front of her mother, still shaking from the abduction of her father. A faint glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes. Michael was almost saddened by the response he knew he had to give.

"Not you . . ." he turned to look at Charlie, "her." The waitress was astonished, but not quite speechless as every eye in the diner flew to her.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because your child is the only hope humanity has of surviving." Despite the seriousness of his tone, Charlie could only laugh. How could such a thing be possible; it couldn't!

"No way!" Her laughter was cut short by the continued expression of solemnity on the angel's face. In an instant her expression of skepticism was replaced with one of unease.

"Wait, wait. Wait a minute. This can't be happening to me. I mean, I'm nobody. I'm just a waitress! I'm nobody! I can't give birth to the Savior of Mankind!" Her voice faltered for a moment as she desperately groped about for viable reasoning to contradict Michael's insane sounding pronouncement. "I don't even own a car!"

"None of that matters anymore. Either your child lives or Mankind dies." The shock of Michael's explanation so far was beginning to wear off and Kyle found his voice again.

"So what, we're supposed to just hold those things off until the baby gets here?"

"That's it."

"I'm only eight months pregnant." Dread had taken a foothold in Charlie's eyes and wasn't going anywhere soon, and Kyle's response wasn't very reassuring.

"This shit can't be happening, man!"

"How are we supposed to survive here for a month?" Sandra's fear had given her back her voice as well. Michael glanced at her briefly.

"We won't have to . . ." Charlie could feel the blood draining from her face. She was reaching whole new levels of fear now, but oddly enough, she felt detached form it. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"It's coming soon, isn't it?"

"Yes." It was the only response Michael could give. Charlie felt suddenly light-headed and the diner around her began to sway. Jeep rushed forward to steady her, concern for her over-writing the fear on his face from their situation. Michael paused from checking his guns.

"Listen, I simply don't care what you people believe, and those things outside, they don't care either. They just want the child dead." He pointed almost menacingly at Charlie's pregnant belly, before looking down at his guns again.

"Now, this first attack was a test of our strength. The next one will be a test of our weakness." He paused for a moment, fixing a stare at everyone one in the room before loading a new clip into the machine gun in his hand. "Now we can sit here and discuss it, or you can try and help me. But believe me, something much worse is on its way." No one could move for fear as Michael turned. Something worse than whatever that had been just a short time before?

Jeep shot a concerned glance at Charlie, but before anyone could react farther everyone's attention was grabbed by a quiet but distinct thud from the roof over their heads. While everyone froze in fear, Michael looked up, a concerned but curious expression on his face as he brought the gun in his hand to bear. However, he wasn't through the door when a shadowed figure appeared in the doorway.

"Michael, Michael, what have you done." A lyrical but condescending voice emanated from the shifting shadows in front of him. Michael sighed, his eyes closing briefly in what might have been regarded as pain.

"Why are you here?" The occupants of the room behind him watched on with apprehension as the shadow moved into their line of sight just outside the doorway.

"You didn't say good-bye." The hint of sarcasm didn't detract from the hypnotic quality of the voice. Michael took a deep breath. The shadow moved into the light, causing more than one person to gasp.

The woman who came from the roof access of the building was terrifyingly beautiful. She was of medium height and build but still managed to look delicate. Her hair colour was an indistinguishable dark hue that was pulled back into a messy bun with an assortment of clips to keep shorter strands in check while her bangs swished carelessly beside her face. A lithe body clad in formfitting but utilitarian clothes and leather strapping exuded a predatory power and grace while the metal breastplate and pauldrons gleamed dully in the low light from under a long black coat. A single thick band of iron encircled her elegant neck while her pale skin and blue eyes shone in the dark. Like Michael she was armed, but in a manner that baffled all those but Michael. A sword hung at her hips, as did a long dagger while the hilts of at least two others peaked out of her calf-high boots and leather gauntlets. She was, without a doubt, a warrior, and a lethal one at that.

"Tessa, you shouldn't be here. You're disobeying a direct order." Michael's voice was soft and conflicted. The woman smiled coyly, a flash of defiance and anger in her eyes. Charlie whimpered softly in the background drawing the woman's gaze for the briefest moment.

"Look who's talking?" Michael frowned. "Besides, you're not the General anymore, so I can choose to ignore your orders." She smiled sweetly, earning a few nervous shuffles behind Michael.

"He will be most displeased with you."

"I don't really care at the moment. So," she stepped lithely past Michael to survey the group arrayed behind him before turning to look at him again, "what is the plan, Michael?" His jaw tight with frustration, he turned to face her defiant gaze.

"You really shouldn't be here." Oh, but I should, Tessa silently responded to herself as Michael stepped past her and bade the others to a variety tasks he set them.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So, here's Chapter 2. Legion still isn't mine, otherwise parts would be a little different :P Reviews are greatly appreciated! **

**Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Lights flashed eerily across the horizon as the night wore on. Percy and Kyle were up on the roof, while Bob settled himself to make steaks, a morose and silent Sandra sitting at the bar in front of him. Jeep, Michael and the newcomer, Tessa, were working at boarding up the windows. She hadn't exactly been there long, but she had settled in as if she had been there from the beginning. The others eyed her warily. She and Michael knew each other, and quite obviously had a past of some sort, but that seemed to matter very little now. Most eyes, when not looking elsewhere, watched her, but she only watched Michael. They hadn't had a chance to talk privately yet, and she was waiting patiently for a quiet moment with him. She was gathering up more materials from the back when she heard Jeep come up behind her. She could feel his eyes on her, but she paid it no mind. Michael's appearance a moment later to gather more boards stole the boy's attention. It wasn't long before Jeep broke the silence.

"So what did you do? You know, before you came here?" Michael looked up, his eyes meeting Tessa's briefly before focusing on Jeep. It took him a moment to answer, walking closer.

"I was a soldier. I was a general in His army." He turned his attention back to the boards. Tessa watched Jeep process this and, swallowing slowly, prepare to ask another.

"Well, what changed? What made you leave?" Michael's gaze once again focused on the boy, this time refusing to look at the third person in the room.

"I was given an order I didn't believe in," Jeep couldn't take his eyes off the fallen angel, his mouth open in shock and confusion. Michael continued, still refusing to look at Tessa, who was now watching him with the same intensity that Jeep was. She hadn't heard that part.

"He lost faith. I didn't." Five succinct words, and he turned away from them both, carrying more boards out of the room. Jeep once again retreated to his thoughts, while Tessa continued to watch Michael's retreating back. It was another moment before Jeep spoke again.

"Well, how come you still have faith?" Tessa tensed, something that Michael noticed but Jeep didn't, "I mean, it seems like everything I have faith in causes me nothing but trouble." The bitterness in his tone was obvious. Michael leaned against the doorframe, considering the young man in front of him. Finally he dropped his gaze, thinking about his answer, an answer that Tessa almost believed wouldn't come. Michael's quiet words broke the silence, his gaze coming up again to rest on Jeep.

"When God chose your kind as the object of his love I was the first in all of Heaven to bow down before you," Tessa's gaze was once again drawn to Michael as he paused, "My love, my hope for mankind was no less than His. But I have watched you trample that gift." Jeep turned to face Michael completely, while Tessa's jaw clenched at his next words. She turned away form the angel, struggling to keep her emotions in check; something else that Michael didn't miss.

"I've watched you kill each other over race and greed, waging war over dust and rubble and the words in old books, slaughtering the innocent for the sins and whims of the guilty." Tessa took a ragged breath, fighting the angry tears that suddenly threatened to overcome her, her hands clenched into fists as memories washed over her.

"And yet, in the midst of all this darkness, I see some people who will not be bowed. I see some people who will not give up even when they know all hope is lost." She could hear him walking closer, hanging onto every word he said as though it was for her alone, and in a way it was. Just as they applied to Jeep, they applied to her. He continued to talk, his blue-eyed fixed on the boy in front of him, rather than the woman in the shadows.

"Some people, who realize that being lost is so close to being found. I see you, Jeep. Fifteen years old, your mother leaves you; your father withdraws from the world. And you spend the next five years of your young life helping him find his way home." Jeep watched the angel intently, his forehead creasing in disbelief at his words. "You love a woman who bears the child of another and you love her with no though for yourself, even though you know she may never love you the way you love her." Tessa closed her eyes, wondering if Michael knew just how true those last dozen words were now, and not just for Jeep.

"You, Jeep. You are the reason that I still have faith." Jeep continued to stare as Michael took a step back, gazing for a moment at the woman whose back was still turned, his eyes considering her. Tessa leaned her forehead against the cool metal of the cabinet in front of her, her eyes closed. Michael turned away, abruptly changing the subject.

"It's almost time for the next shift." Jeep continued to stare as Michael walked out of the room, gathering the boards he had separated from the main pile as he passed them. Tessa lifted her gaze as Jeep eventually left, watching him go as well before forcing herself to continue what she was doing.

A few moments passed before Tessa walked out into the main room of the diner, her arms filled with boards and nails. As she began to board up one of the last windows, she could feel Michael pause a few feet from her, his sky-blue gaze shifting to her. She almost expected him to say something, and was relieved when he didn't. She got one board nailed over the window before she spoke, her voice just loud enough that Michael could hear.

"So what happens to you when this is over?" Once again she felt his gaze on her, but it was several heartbeats before he answered, his voice just as quiet as hers.

"I don't know." The answer was almost sad, the tone saying things his words didn't. Tessa, breathing deeply turned to face him full on, gathering her will to speak again.

"Then why are you doing this?" She winced at the sound of despair in her voice, but held his piercing gaze. Again, he let the seconds wear on before speaking, taking a step closer to her.

"Sometimes we have to face the thing we fear the most in order to be free of it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Now it was her voice that was bitter. Michael often liked to talk in metaphor and half-meanings. Tessa was much more straightforward than that. Maybe it had to do with the time period and station to which she had been born, or perhaps it was just that she was a soldier now above all else. This time he didn't answer her, instead stepping behind her to grab another board, propping it up so she could nail it in place. She was hyper aware of his body so close to hers, but tried to ignore it as she hammered the nails in place.

Once the board was secure, he turned away. Tessa raised her head to say something but gasped reflexively at what she saw instead. Blood was starting to seep through the back of Michael's t-shirt, inky-black in the low light. Michael paused at the sound, turning his head back slightly to look at her. Unable to speak at first, Tessa could only walk forward to gently probe around the area where his wings usually were, feeling muscles tense in pain at her touch. A million thoughts began to rush through her head, but before she could give voice to any of them Michael took her hand and led her into the next room.

"Not out here." Tessa followed mutely, only hesitating to grab the large First Aid Kit from the counter where it sat abandoned after Howard's neck wound had been rudimentarily cared for.

Once they were safely behind closed doors in Bob's makeshift office, Tessa rounded on Michael, her face twisted in dismay. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the former archangel could hear her pain in each syllable she spoke.

"You cut them off?" Michael could only nod in response, watching as Tessa inhaled sharply. After taking a few more harsh breaths, she forced her emotions behind the façade of the soldier she was. Her deft hands had the First Aid Kit on the table and it's contents bared in quick, precise movements. She efficiently removed her leather braces, sliding them into her pocket before exploring what she had to work with.

"Take off the shirt." Michael couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her demand, but complied at the stern glance she gave him. Ordering him to sit on one of the chairs left in the room, she turned back to face him, gauze, tape, surgical scissors, a needle and thread and disinfectant clutched in her hands. She very nearly dropped them when she saw the state his back was in.

Two gauze pads, now nearly soaked through with blood covered where the base of his wings had attached to his body. Beneath those there were two awkwardly stitched-up gashes that seemed to take up a great deal of his back. A number of the stitches had been ripped out and fresh blood seeped from the gaping wounds. Steeling her nerve, Tessa pulled up another chair and sat behind him, proceeding to cut loose the now ineffective stitching from the inflamed skin of his back. She could feel his muscles tense in pain as she diligently worked to fix the job he'd done, but he never made a sound. After cleaning the wounds Tessa began to stitch the gashes shut again in the hopes that this time they could begin to heal properly, though the loss of his beautiful iron-grey wings seemed devastating to her. She nearly jumped when Michael began to speak to her.

"Why did you come? Why did you follow me?" Tessa took a deep breath, but didn't answer right away. The truth was, she still wasn't a hundred percent sure why she'd come after him.

"I felt that I had to. End of story." He twisted slightly to look at her over his right shoulder, causing her to make a sound of dismay as he interrupted her ministrations.

"Why? We both know very well that you have little love for mankind." That she didn't have an answer to. He was right of course. She truly did have no great attachment to the humans that lived below Heaven, and usually cared very little for their fates. She smiled a little, a hard cynicism in her expression rather than compassion.

"Perhaps there is a small part of me that still cares because I used to be one of them. I do not know. All I know is that's not why I followed." His shocking blue eyes continued to stare at her, trying to comprehend what even she didn't fully understand. She pushed gently at his right shoulder, forcing him to turn those eyes away from her again so she could continue to sew. It was then that she let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding.

"He's going to be very angry with you." She paused for the briefest moment, knowing exactly whom he meant. She could still feel his arms around her from when he told her of Michael's defection. She had been nearly inconsolable with disbelief, but he had tried to comfort her, even as she made her own plans to defect as well. She could still feel his parting kiss, knowing it was likely the last before she betrayed him by following Michael.

"Yes, and I suspect he's furious with you." He made a sound that could've almost been mistaken for a laugh. This time she did stop, resting her bloodstained fingers on one of the uninjured parts of his back. She felt him shiver ever so slightly at her touch. "Why did you do it? I heard what you told that boy, Jeep, but there's more, isn't there?" Michael sighed, his head dropping in what she interpreted as heartache, or something similar.

"I didn't want it to come to this. Mankind doesn't deserve this, not really. They need guidance, not punishment. I disobeyed because what our Father wants is not what he truly needs." Once again he turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers. "I did this because I knew no one else would." The sadness in his eyes was heart wrenching. Tessa lifted her hand from his back to touch his cheek, not caring about the blood that smeared on it.

"You're not alone now." A faint smile came to his lips.

"Yes, I know. And I thank you. I just hope the price isn't too great." This time it was Tessa who smiled faintly.

"I want to be here, truly. And no price is too great." A glimmer of comprehension awoke in Michael's eyes as Tessa once again gently pushed his shoulder to expose the full expanse of his back. It didn't take much longer for her to finish stitching his skin back together and a few moments after that and she had finished covering the wounds with gauze. Standing, partially wiping her hands on a leftover scrap, she walked slowly around to face Michael properly, leaning on the Desk in front of him.

"You're all done." He stood to, twisting a little to examine Tessa's handiwork, tensing his shoulders to test her small, neat stitches. Then his gaze slid back to hers, considering her.

"Thank you. You've done a much neater job than I could've." Tessa smirked a little.

"You should've seen my needlepoint." She straightened, preparing to clean up the remaining supplies when she felt his hand grasp her arm, turning her around to face him. He held her there, just staring into her eyes. Tessa froze, not even able to respond when he spoke.

"You can still get out, you know. It's not safe for you here." It was then that her expression darkened.

"It's not safe for anyone here. And I'm not going anywhere, whether you like it or not. Besides, I can't go back anyway." With that she wrenched herself from his grasp, and proceeded to shove the remaining First Aid supplies back into their box. Michael sighed. He could never seem to say the right things around her when he really needed to.

"Tessa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." She paused, her hands still hovering over the box she was about to shut. Her expression softened as she turned, walking towards him.

"I chose to be here. I'm ready for the consequences." Michael raised his hand to her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. Tessa couldn't help but lean into it, just for a moment, before pulling away.

"It's time for your shift. I'll watch from inside." Nodding, Michael slipped on his shirt before picking up one of the guns lying on the table a feet from them, sparing her one last look before ducking out the door.

Tessa finished packing up the First Aid Kit, this time putting everything away neatly before she closed it up. Then, grabbing it and one of the machine guns sitting on the table, she too exited the room.

She passed Bob on her way out to the main room as he headed up to the room for his shift. Though he gave a startled look at her, she paid him no mind. Once in the main dining room, she placed the First Aid kit back on the counter before walking forward to glance out through the spaces in the boarded-up windows. The sound of someone clearing his throat caught her attention. It was Percy, and when he stepped forward she could see he had a question for her purely by the look on his face.

"Are you alright?" She frowned at his concern. Of course she was, why ever wouldn't she be? True, she was having some emotional issues at the moment, but it was highly unlikely that a human would notice that. It was then that she noticed Audrey, the teenage girl, and Charlie, the pregnant woman, staring at her hands. Looking down, she remembered the bloodstains that remained from her tending to Michael's wounds.

"Oh, No. It is not mine. I am well." Without another word she walked into the kitchen, intent on washing the still damp blood from her hands. Percy followed her. She tried to ignore him, but eventually she gave up, turning her own gaze on the one-handed cook. She didn't say a word, but Percy asked his question anyway.

"Is it his blood?" She had focused again on scrubbing the blood from her hands, her fingers lingering on the angelic script winding around her wrists.

"Yes." Like many of Michael's answers, her were often short and to the point. Although, hers were usually short because she wasn't fond of talking to humans.

"Are you like him?" She turned her gaze back to him, her eyebrows knit in a small frown. He gestured to the roof, obviously referring to the angel that was currently standing watch. She considered him for a moment. That he was struggling to reconcile himself to what Michael had told them was obvious. This man had diligently believed in a kind and merciful God for a long time. Now his faith, in a manner of speaking, was shaken. They were preparing to defend their lives against the very beings he had always believed were there to protect humankind; beings who were acting on the orders of a Father who had given up on his children. Tessa didn't expect to relate to this man, but she did. A bit of her own faith had been shaken when the Soldiers of Heaven had been told of the task facing them.

"Yes. In a way." She sighed at the sight of his frown. Drying off her hands, she stepped out of the kitchen and walked back into the main room, where everyone else left on the ground level had turned their attention to her as well. She pulled her braces out of her pocket, replacing them on her wrists and tightening the webbing between her slim fingers and down the sides.

"I am a soldier in the Army of Heaven. No more, no less. Michael was my General, until he fell with the purpose of helping you." She fixed a pointed stare at Charlie, taking a grim satisfaction as the young woman flinched reflexively. Good. They all knew she was dangerous. She could see it in their eyes. She didn't need any of them going all 'save us pretty angel!' She had seen enough of that when watching humans from above. These humans, if they wanted to survive, were going to have to help themselves. She flexed her hands, allowing the leather to settle into its familiar shape

"You should all sleep while you can." Without another word, she resumed her watch through the slits of the boarded windows. Around her she could hear the other occupants of the diner bunking down for whatever rest they could manage. She imagined that it was going to be a difficult sleep for most of them. Strangely enough, sympathy was one of the reactions she felt at that thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Legion is not mine. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! It's so encouraging to get feedback!**

**R & R & Enjoy! :D **

Chapter 3

Dawn spread across the desert in what seemed like the blink of an eye. The light had been slowly growing and spreading across the sky creating a watercolour-like blaze of blues and oranges. But in an instant the sun had breeched to horizon, spreading its beams of light shooting over the expanse of sand.

Michael paced the roof of the diner, scanning that horizon for any sign of danger. At the moment all was calm save for the yelps and howls of coyotes. His mind however was a different story.

The episode between him and his brother before he had made the concrete decision to disobey their Father's orders ran rampant though his thoughts. Gabriel was a creature of duty, and he lived to obey the Father no matter the cost to himself. This troubled Michael. No matter what his brother believed in his heart, he would complete the mission their Father had given him. However, as dawn grew closer, thoughts of the angel in the diner below him had begun to command his attention.

Ever since he had met Tessa centuries ago, he had sensed something special about her. He'd been the one to escort her soul to Heaven, taking her from her horrible, mortal fate to a new existence. He'd even begun to develop feelings for the troubled young angel. She'd made an excellent addition to the Army of Heaven, her anger and aggression making her deadly in battle against the demons they fought. She was always victorious, striking down demon after demon and not seeming to tire at all. But there had always been more to her than that. Michael had always sensed a deeper hurt in her, one that couldn't be made to go away when she unleashed her fury on the demons of hell. This concerned him, as most humans shed their resentments and pain upon their entry to Heaven. She was normally genuinely kind and gracious, her compassion a shining star within the boundaries of Heaven. Perhaps understandably, that compassion was hard-pressed to be passed to humans when one considered her past. Yet, Michael had seen that single hard part of her soul begin to soften in recent times.

He suspected that had something to do with his brother, who had taken her into his care shortly after she had arrived and discovered her own wings. Michael, who had also grown close to her, was forced to focus more on his duties as the General of Heaven's Army, so Tessa had found comfort in his brother's arms. He didn't begrudge either of them that. He loved his brother dearly, and anything that brought Tessa healing and peace was all right by him. In fact, to that point, he had never seen her more content and more at peace with herself than when she was in Gabriel's presence.

She had also brought out a side of Gabriel that he had rarely seen in his twin. The Messenger of God was always hard and cold; he had to be in order to do what was often demanded of him. She had brought out the softer side of his brother, allowing him to show the true depths of his compassionate heart. Michael was sure that his brother truly loved the young angel that brought out this unseen aspect of him. But that hadn't halted the tugging in his heart when he saw them together.

However, the sight of them together had become rare in recent years, and Michael had watched them begin to grow apart, saddened that neither of them had found anything more than temporary comfort. Yet even as she had grown away from his brother, Michael valued the continued attention and trust that Tessa gave him. Throughout the centuries that she had been among them, he had always considered her a close friend, but had never presumed that she wanted more. She had always seemed so contented to just possess his friendship. She had been skittish enough around males upon her entrance to Heaven that he had never dared to try and be more to her. Gabriel had seemed to be one of the few exceptions to that rule along with him. Now it seemed that she felt more than the bonds of friendship for him, and he was beginning to wonder how he had missed the signs of her growing feelings.

Tessa also had been watching the sky brighten, scanning the horizon for any sign of trouble. Her thoughts were just as chaotic as Michael's, for similar enough reasons. She was just now beginning to realize the true depth of emotion that stirred when she was in his presence, and when she was not. Gabriel had satisfied her longings for companionship and physical comfort and security, but she found she no longer needed that. Michael, however, allowed her to let out all the hidden secrets and wounds of her damaged psyche. He gave her a certain amount of physical comfort in that she always felt safe near him, but he'd also done a great deal to sooth the emotional hurt. There was nothing she felt she couldn't go to him about. She could always talk to him and he always lifted her spirits. He had become essential to her without her even realizing it. The instant she had heard of his fall, she hadn't hesitated to follow, though not quite to the extreme he had. She had never dreamed that he would actually sever his beautiful wings in effort to defy his orders.

She had told the truth earlier when she told him that she didn't know why she had followed. Tessa had known it wasn't out of any sense of devotion to mankind. Anyone who knew anything of her past knew that. All she knew was that she had the powerful compulsion to follow him, regardless of the consequences, which she knew were likely to be dire. Now, as she examined the last few hours in her mind, as well as the complicated well of emotions roiling around in her belly, she was discovering that the feelings of friendship, the ones that both she and Michael had taken to be her only feelings for him in the past, were far more than what they appeared to be. More even than what she had felt for Gabriel.

She glanced over her shoulder when she heard someone stir. Surprisingly, everyone in the diner who tried to sleep slept peacefully, or relatively well. She had expected nightmares and insomnia considering what they had experienced up to this point.

Sandra, Audrey's mother, was the one stirring. The woman glanced briefly at Tessa before heading deeper into the Diner. The angel sighed before turning her eyes back to the desert on the other side of the wood and glass. There had been a great deal of pain in Sandra's eyes when she looked at Tessa, something she couldn't quite shake from her inner eye. It brought back memories that the angel would've preferred to keep buried. Memories of a mother with tears streaming down her face, whispering prayers for mercy as she watched bundles of sticks and twigs piled high around her daughter's feet. Memories of the pain in that mother's eyes, wondering if that daughter had betrayed her like everyone insisted, or if the executioner was murdering an innocent child who did nothing but cling to the hope of truth. Tessa shook her head to clear the fuzzy memories. They were from a long time ago, and had no bearing on the here and now.

She was startled from her thoughts when she heard Sandra cry out, all but screaming for her husband. More shouts and the sound of shifting furniture came from the back room as Audrey and Percy raced for the back door. In an instant Tessa was on her feet, bolting towards the sounds of shouting. She could hear Charlie and Jeep behind her, also drawn to the noise.

Tessa arrived in time to see Sandra bursting through the back door, desperate to get out with Percy hard on her heels. Kyle was coming round from where he'd fallen and Audrey was sluggishly getting to her feet. Tessa made it to the door just in time to see Percy grab hold of Sandra, turning to shield her with his own body as the upside down figure of her husband exploded in a gruesome deluge of pus and blood. Tessa just barely turned in time to shield herself from the spray of foul-smelling fluid. Looking back up, she pushed the door open wider so the single-handed cook could push the now hysterical woman back inside the diner. Sandra sprawled ungraciously on the floor, wailing in grief as Kyle began to bind her hands. Charlie stepped forward as Tessa's eyes turned back to the cook, the waitress softly calling his name.

Tessa knew before he even hit the ground that he was gone. The fluids that had sprayed from Howard's body had burned clean through his clothes and skin to reveal a sickening display of charred, raw muscle and vivid white bone that steamed in the early morning temperature. Tessa fought the urge to cry out in horror as his body thudded to the floor. In her years as a soldier fighting demons, she had seen things much more gruesome than this. Even in her mortal life, she had experienced things less merciful. At least Percy's death had been quick. Still, the sight of his mutilated flesh got to her, even though it was just for a moment. As Michael and Bob charged into the room, Tessa had already regained her wits and had closed and blocked the door. Kyle and Audrey had already pulled Sandra from the ground, and Jeep had guided a shocked and horror-stricken Charlie back out to the main part of the Diner, where Tessa could hear her begin to sob.

The two angels locked gazes for a moment, understanding about what had just happened passing between them before reverently picking up Percy's lifeless body and moving it to the Diner's cooler. Bob stood by, his face blank with shock despite the stream of tears beginning to cover his ruddy cheeks, his body beginning to tremble as he digested what he saw.

Tessa felt her own share of grief at the one-handed man's passing. He was one of the souls that Michael had spoken of earlier, even though Percy's light hadn't been quite so strong as Jeep's. His actions leading up to his death cemented in her mind that he was one of the ones that should have been saved. Her bleak outlook on humans and their capacity for good had been shifting leading up to God's orders, but this man had been one of the exceptions to the opinion she had made long ago about mankind. She had seen that the moment she'd first seen his face. His heart had been good, and as she and Michael laid him on the only clear surface in the cooler, she silently offered up a prayer that his soul would arrive unmolested to the gates of Heaven. Then she turned and left, the steady drip of his blood onto the floor echoing in her ears like thunder over the desert.

* * *

Michael found her a little while later on the roof of the diner sitting on the far corner, one of the machine guns cradled to her chest. She heard him coming and so she didn't jump as he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. When she didn't react further, he sat beside her, his long legs dangling over the edge beside hers. He reached an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Tessa didn't fight it; she wanted him to hold her. Her world was in turmoil and she felt like she hadn't noticed until now. She nuzzled closer to his chest, her arm wrapping around his waist as his other arm came up to enclose her. They sat there for several moments, watching the sun-lit desert. It seemed odd to her that in such a dark time the sky could still be so blue and the sun so bright.

"He was different than most of the human's I've known. He was good. His faith may have been shaken, but he still clung to his belief that God was good. I could see it in his eyes last night, when he asked me what I was. I don't know what to believe anymore, Michael. My collar feels heavy, and it never has before. All these flawed souls—I'm not sure I understand anymore." He listened in silence, his hand gently chafing her shoulder. He wanted to comfort her, but he had little comfort to give. The clear-cut distinction she had always believed existed between right and wrong was dissolving. Her faith in the justice of God had never wavered, even when she suffered at the hands of her fellow man. But now, she was witnessing God punishing not just the wicked, but to good as well. This time, it was God, not man that was causing the suffering she abhorred. Michael kissed the crown of her head, murmuring softly to her.

"That is why we must show him there is still the presence of good among his children, that there is still something to nourish."

"I don't know if I can. I still cannot move past the overwhelming evil I see in mankind. I cannot see past the lies and the torture." She shuddered on his arms, memories flooding her vision. Time had made them hazy, but they still held powerful sway over her. "I know in my heart that I'm supposed to love them, and deep down I suppose I do. But every time I try to open my heart to love them unconditionally—" Her voice broke, unable to finish. Michael tilted her chin up so that he could look her in the eyes.

"You will. You're here, aren't you?" A tear slipped out of the corner of her vivid blue eye. He brushed it away gently with his thumb, caressing her soft skin.

"But I didn't come for them."

"I know," he leaned forward, his forehead resting against hers, "why did you never tell me how you felt?" She made a little sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, her dark lashes closing over her blue eyes.

"I suppose because I didn't even know myself." She raised her other hand to his face, tracing the lines of his jaw and cheek. He truly was a beautiful creature, inside and out. "I didn't realize why I followed you until I was here." Michael shifted a little to place a soft kiss on her lips, followed by a deeper, lingering one. As he pulled back, she opened her eyes to meet his, and she knew deep down that she'd made the right decision.

* * *

Shortly after their conversation on the roof, Tessa was back in the main room of the Diner. She sat on one of the far booths, her feet propped in the edge of the table as she surveyed the landscape beyond.

Audrey was kneeling in front of her mother, offering the broken woman some water. For her own safety, and that of everyone else, Sandra had been tied to a chair in the center of the dining room. Tessa couldn't help but examine the girl who was trying desperately to make her devastated mother comfortable. She could sense the innumerable physical sins on the soul of the girl, but she also easily saw the hurt and pain that had driven her to partake in some of the nearly unmentionable activities she had experienced in her young life. She could also see the deep-seated and constant desire to be good flickering at the centre of her being. This sad, lonely little girl was drowning in her mistakes and was desperately trying to overcome them.

Even a few days ago, Tessa might have considered Audrey's inability to pull herself from her net of sin weak, but now, after spending time actually watching these people and their flawed souls, she now saw the teenager's struggle as a showcase of her inner strength. No matter the shadows this girl's past held, she was still clinging to the desire and the will to pull herself above it. The angel might not understand or condone what the teenager had done in her past, but she could no longer condemn her for it either.

She watched as Audrey popped the lid off a pill container and offered one to her mother, insisting that she'd feel better if she took it. Sandra just looked around with half-wild eyes, complacently accepting whatever her daughter offered or said while tears streaked down her face. The angel could see the way Audrey relaxed when her mother gazed mildly at her, accepting the comfort she was trying to give. That was, until Sandra began to speak.

"This is your fault. We were only moving because of you." Tessa slowly rose to her feet, all but feeling the alarm coursing through Audrey as her mother's face began to twist with hatred and blame. "We sacrificed everything for you."

"N-no. You, you wanted to go. Y-you said that you wanted to." Sandra's voice rose in pitch, ignoring Audrey's attempt to understand.

"I loved my house. I loved my life, and you have ruined it. You ruined everything! Everything!"

"Enough." Tessa's voice was cold and deadly in the quiet room. Sandra didn't take her eyes off her trembling daughter, but she stopped her merciless tirade against the devastated teen. "You're just going to sit here and torture your daughter like this?" Tessa's voice was incredulous behind the anger. She just stood, still on the other side of the diner, her flashing, unearthly blue eyes slicing into Sandra. Kyle stood solemnly behind the broken woman, his face revealing sympathy only for Audrey. After a moment he walked forward, just as angry with the woman as the angel was, though he was considerably less dangerous. Tessa could tell that if she hadn't spoken up, he would've. Kyle, tapping the teen on the shoulder, aimed a question at Audrey in order to pull her mind from the horrible words she'd just heard, pointedly ignoring her mother now that she was silent.

"Can you come help me find a station that actually works?" With a lot of effort and, Tessa noticed with bewilderment, one last concerned look at her mother, Audrey pulled herself to her feet, following Kyle to where Percy's radio sat abandoned on the counter.

As Kyle sat a short distance away from the teen, Audrey settled in front of the radio, distractedly turning the dials in a futile effort to distract her thoughts. Tessa, instead of resuming her post at the window, came to sit on the other side of the girl, watching her without restraint.

"Are you alright?" The angel didn't mean to speak, but didn't catch herself before the words slipped out. She felt genuine concern for the girl, something she hadn't expected after seeing the stains left by her life of sin thus far. But, as she had been musing before Sandra's awful accusations, Audrey's sins did not make up her whole character. Even the glance of worry after the blame had rained down on her young head caused the angel to wonder for this young woman. She was startlingly reminded of the weeping woman from her memories. The angel wondered if that mother had thought the same things about her daughter when the young girl had been—Tessa could hardly bear to think about either of them, the mother or daughter. Audrey lifted her gaze to the angel in front of her, mistrust and pain warring in her eyes.

"How do you think I'm doing?" She glared at Tessa without a trace of fear in her eyes. "How would you be doing?" The teenager dropped her gaze down to the radio after a moment, resuming her absent fiddling with the dials. Tessa continued to watch her, sympathy flooding through her.

"I would not be doing so well." Audrey's fingers paused on the dials as Tessa spoke, her voice soft and distinctly pained. "I do not think I would have remained so concerned for my mother had she ever said those things to me, especially now." Audrey fought to hold back her tears.

"She was right. Besides, what would you know? You're an angel. This would never happen to you."

"You are right. It never happened to me, though, I suspect that's probably because I died before my mother had a chance to say it." Audrey looked up at Tessa in disbelief.

"But—" She was interrupted when others started to file into the room. Charlie was first, groaning softly as she settled her swollen body into a chair nearby. Michael and Jeep followed close behind. Tessa met the former archangel's gaze for a moment, though he was baffled by the swirl of conflicting emotions he saw there. As he settled near where Tessa had originally been watching the desert, Audrey once again began to fiddle with the radio; her thoughts conflicted for yet another reason.

Tessa stood and went to stand beside Michael, who was watching Charlie with concern, touching his sleeve gently. His clear-blue gaze settled on her face, this time the concern for her, but before she could say anything Audrey began to shout.

"Wait. You guys. Oh, my God, I'm hearing something!" Kyle and Charlie hurried to Audrey's side, listening intently to the static filled voice coming over the radio.

"_We're on our own here, people. If you can hear my voice we're getting the first bits of good news since this—apocalypse began nearly 48 hours ago. A militia has formed on the outskirts of Las Vegas and begun to engage those affected. I'm getting unconfirmed reports of other militias gathering in Death Valley, Zion and Red Ridge National Parks in the Mojave Desert._" Charlie looked around at the others.

"Red Ridge. That's only an hour up the road from here."

"Does that mean we can leave?" Audrey turned to look at the backs of the two angels standing by the boarded up windows. Michael clenched his jaw before speaking, glancing quickly as Tessa. She could see the regret in his expression before he turned to crush to hope in Audrey's eyes.

"No. We're not going anywhere." Charlie stood, confusion written all over her face.

"What?" The waitress stared at Michael, her hands hovering around her unborn child. Kyle spoke next, a grim conviction in his voice.

"I don't know about you, but I gotta get the fuck out of here." Michael shook his head, all remorse gone from his expression, hidden from the people in front of him.

"No. I won't risk being on the move when the baby comes." His gaze shifted to Charlie, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Charlie looked down to her belly. The fallen angel looked back to Kyle. "It's too dangerous." With that he turned back to the window, gazing out at the desert. Tessa watched him along with everyone else, though concern was written all over her features. Charlie walked slowly away, her expression one of disbelief and anger. Kyle took another step forward, not quite ready to let it go.

"Too dangerous? What the fuck do you mean, too dangerous?" Michael didn't respond but continued to stare out the window, his jaw clenched with resolve. In the background the voice on the radio continued to talk on, the voice grave and tired.

"_May God give us the strength to survive, and have mercy on those who are already lost._"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N So, here it is, the chapter that boosts this fic. to an M-rating. This is the first time I've written something like this, so please go easy! As usual, R&R! **

**I do not own Legion, else there would be more shirtless Michael scenes. :P**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Night fell in silence in the diner. Everyone was quiet, and all were lost in their own thoughts. Audrey and Kyle were on watch, somehow managing to find common ground between them. Charlie sat silently in the kitchen trying to forget what was happening and failing miserably. Tessa watched from her perch as Jeep came to sit next to her, their quiet but indistinguishable words blending into the sounds of the night.

The angel was restless. Things were in motion, and she couldn't just sit and wait, but she didn't want to disturb anyone either. They all needed their rest; they were going to need it. Standing, she walked silently past a snoring Bob and a murmuring Charlie and Jeep to the backroom where she had sewn up Michael's wounds and where Percy had died. Pacing, she made circuit after circuit of the small room, trying not to think of anything. All her memories from her previous life were bombarding her tonight, not giving her a moment's peace. She felt like she was being driven to the brink of insanity.

"What troubles you, Teresa?" Tessa started at the use of her former name, and at the sound of Michael's voice. Silently, he shut the door and locked it behind him before leaning casually against it, his eyes surveying her troubled features. Tessa took a ragged breath.

"That name is appropriate tonight. That life haunts me while we're stuck in this limbo." Michael took a step forward, taking his time so not to agitate her further. Whenever she got like this she was unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. She stopped pacing, looking at the former archangel with her eyes alight in her agitation.

"Why am I an angel? What could I have possibly done to deserve to go to heaven? I squandered away my life; I broke my mother's heart; I ruined my family's name; I—I didn't fight back hard enough. And even now I can't let go of this anger towards mankind, even though I can see the good in them!" Tears started to stream down her face. Michael stood his ground. She was too high-strung and lost in her past. He needed to wait for her to calm herself. Her inability to let go of her past hatred had worried him ever since she had received her wings. It was something he still didn't understand. Humans generally let go of the negative feelings that weighed on their souls when they received their wings. Tessa had not. Michael was silent for a moment. When he spoke his voice was just as low and calming as it always was. Not a hint of his worry was betrayed.

"I suspect it is because you can see that good and feel for those who carry it within them. It is because you have remorse. What happened to you was not your doing, and even so, you feel sorrow for the pain caused to others. Without remorse you would be no better than the ones who brought about your mortal death. It was your concern towards the innocent and hopeful and you determination to halt the kinds of injustice you suffered. It was you devotion to the potential good in the world that brought you to where you are. That is why you are an angel and that is why you are one of the most compassion and understanding angels I know." The tears had stopped flowing quite so heavily, and her trembling limbs were quieting. Slowly, she stepped into Michael's waiting embrace, longing to feel his comforting arms around her. As a soldier she shouldn't allow her emotions to rule her so completely, but right now she was hurting. She needed comfort from the man she loved. There was no doubt in her mind now. She loved Michael, and she never wanted him to let go.

Michael's hands caressed her cheeks, while his lips began to brush her errant tears away. Her hands came to rest on his hips as she let the sensation of his kisses banish the dark memories of her distant past. It wasn't long before his lips were meeting hers with an increasing intensity. In the first split-second she was struck with fearful hesitation but she forcefully pushed it aside, reciprocating with her own kisses. She wanted desperately to forget the past, while Michael pushed his troubled thoughts of whatever lay beyond this diner away. A small corner of his mind said this wasn't the right time, but Michael no longer cared. He knew what shadows lurked in his near future, and he'd waited too long to feel her in his embrace. His mind was made up before he even considered the choice. Slowly, carefully, he deepened his kiss, savouring the taste of her warm, pliant lips as her body pressed against the length of his.

As she got lost in his desperate, passionate kisses his hands began to roam her body, heating her skin as they worked their way under her jacket and breastplate. His lips travelled to her soft, sensitive neck, kissing and nipping the skin not covered by her collar. Her nimble fingers explored his body too, pushing his pale jacket from his shoulders and undoing his vest before working their way under his shirt to his toned abdomen. The damaged part of her also rebelled against where they were going, but like Michael she was past caring. She wasn't going to let her past rule her in this moment. She pushed the fabric higher until he finally removed it, allowing her hands and lips complete access to his beautifully tattooed chest.

She moaned softly when his wandering hands found her wings, stroking them gently before freeing them from the jacket she wore. Soon her breastplate was lowered to the ground and her dark, short-sleeved tunic top was opened enough for Michael's lips to trace the intricate angelic tattoos across her collarbone and to further explore her breasts. More and more of their clothing found the floor as Michael maneuvered them so that Tessa's back was braced against the wall. In one swift motion, her legs were wrapped around his waist, locking her in place while her wings unconsciously flared, buffeting them both with a gentle gust of air. Neither could hold back their moans of pleasure as he slid inside her, finding a rhythm that threatened to drive them both to the brink.

No words were spoken and none were needed. The two angels spoke with their bodies and touches, sharing the other's need for comfort and assurance in the darkness that surrounded them. Michael's lips and tongue seemed to burn her hyper sensitive skin as they traced her neck and collarbone before finding their way back to her own parted lips. The feel of his skin against hers was overwhelming and intoxicating. Their kisses became more forceful and consuming as they both neared their peaks, the pressure building inside her eliciting whimpers of pleasure from the angel.

Neither of them could keep their hands still as fingers roamed over sensitive skin and tensed muscles. Tessa finally buried one hand in his short-cropped hair, forcing his mouth back to hers as a cry threatened to escape from her lips. The nails of her other hand pressed into his shoulder as she pulled him closer, just barely conscious of the tender wounds on his back as he moved against her. Michael's hands couldn't settle, roaming from her legs up her body to her shoulders, hardly believing the feel of her flesh beneath his palms was truly there.

In a surge of ecstasy they both finished, their eyes locked on each other as their bodies stilled. Tessa was hopelessly lost in her lover's eyes in the aftermath as a pleasing languor spread throughout her body. Neither dared move for a long moment, entwined in one another as the sweat began to dry on their bodies. The only sound in the small office was their breathing. Slowly, Tessa wrapped her arms tight around his neck, pulling him close as she inhaled his scent. Michael buried his face into the juncture of her shoulder, his own arms tightening around her trembling body as her collar pressed into his cheek. If only this moment could last forever. For once the world was peaceful.

It couldn't last though, and eventually Michael lowered her to the ground, his breathing calming as his lips once again gently traced her face. Her own breathing slowly returning to a normal rate, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pillowing her face on his strong chest. His arms closed around her, once again surrounding her with a feeling of safety and comfort, his cheek resting on the top of her head.

The world once again intruded and they slowly pulled away, somberly pulling their garments back into place. Tessa checked that her leather gauntlets hadn't been dislodged as Michael helped to strap her gleaming breastplate into place. He couldn't help but pause to lovingly stroke the soft feathers of her wings. She shivered at the sensation, raising her eyes to meet his. He smiled tightly, that small action revealing to her just how deep the hurt went at the loss of his own wings. She reached up to caress his face, pulling him down for one last tender kiss before duty called once again.

As she settled her long black coat over her wings the lights snapped on. Exchanging a confused glance, the couple all but raced out the door. As Michael wrenched it open, they heard the sounds of gunfire over head. The period of limbo was over.

* * *

Tessa went for the roof while Michael went to check on Charlie. When she stood in the cool night breeze, she notice Audrey was alone, watching horrified at the events unfolding below. Kyle had jumped from the roof in effort to save the child in the minivan sitting at the pumps. The only problem was that it was a trap. Tessa watched as the child ripped into Kyle's throat with his teeth, proving definitively that the little blond boy was never in any danger. As Kyle fell to the ground, Audrey cried out, leaping from the roof herself. The angel behind her jumped forward too late, grabbing only air as the teenager slid from the roof, intent on reaching the child for a vastly different reason than Kyle had. The only problem was that by the time she reached the boy, her gun was empty.

Tessa watched in horror as the teenager threw to empty gun at the child, dashing for the open van door, shutting it behind her and locking the door. Tessa could hear shouting from below and easily imagined the others trying to convince Michael to save the girl. The angel on the roof knew Audrey didn't have that kind of time. The windows of the van were already beginning to crack under the strain of the attacking bodies. Tessa couldn't stand by and let them get to her. Enough lights had been snuffed out since God's Order had been given. With a leap, she too was off the roof, emptying her handgun in a matter of moments, not bothering to wish she had grabbed one of the machine guns. This is what she was made for, trained for. As the gun in her hand clicked after the last bullet had been fired, she tossed it aside, drawing her sword without so much as a pause.

Michael had kept Bob from racing out to help Kyle with the barrel of his gun, holding his ground while they raged at him when the little boy killed the young man. Then, as Audrey joined the fight, horror-stricken gazes turned to him as he once again refused to help. As he stared down Charlie, he could feel his gut twisting in agony at the thought of letting the teen die, but he had to protect the unborn child in front of him. Charlie glared at him, a grim determination in her eyes as she threatened to do something if he didn't. Michael almost didn't hear her, for at that moment, he saw Tessa land lightly on the gravel and begin to pick off the possessed with terrifying grace. There were still too many though.

He shifted his gaze back to Charlie, who held it without any trace of fear. Unable to make any other choice, both because of the ultimatum of the woman in front of him, and the increasing danger to the angel he loved outside, he made up his mind. Plus the life of a young girl was at stake. Charlie turned to grab a gun from the table, but Michael was there in an instant, gently holding her back

"Wait. You stay here." Charlie glared back at him with pure anger in her eyes, only to feel her conviction falter at the anguish in his expression. The waitress didn't have an opportunity to react farther as the former angel turned to the doors, guns in hand, ordering them open. Bob and Jeep made short work of the barricade, barely making it out of the way as Michael bolted through the door, immediately letting loose a barrage of bullets. He was forced to change tactics though, as Tessa was fighting with a single-minded intensity that caused her to disregard the bullets flying around her. Not wanting to risk hitting her, Michael resorted to disabling the possessed with his two remaining handguns and his bare hands.

Too soon, one gun was empty and the other only had a single bullet left. The possessed were still swarming the van as Michael tried to come up with another plan. Then he saw the gas hose, still lying where it fell, a trickle of gasoline leaking from the end. Making up his mind, he grabbed the handle and pulled the hose around to the front of the van. He called out to Tessa, praying that she'd hear him, but in the din of the fighting she couldn't hear his voice. Grimacing, left without any other options, he fired the gun, igniting the gasoline.

At the sound of the single gunshot and the roar of the flames bursting to life, Tessa spun around, gore streaming down the side of her face as the tongues of fire came toward her. Part of her wanted to freeze in terror, the flames barreling towards her billowing in a deadly and familiar pattern. She could almost feel them once again licking across her skin as the scent of charred flesh stung her nose. Michael yelled for her again, desperation filling his voice. His voice in the midst of the hissing flames pulled her back to the present. Kick started into action she charged out of the path of the flaming spray of gasoline an instant before the conflagration reached her. Picking herself off the ground she turned to see the archangel pulling Audrey from the van amidst a blazing ring of fire. She was pulled to her feet as they raced past her, Michael's hand gripping her arm as he pushed the teen forward. As they raced to the diner entrance, the van behind them came closer and closer to exploding in the midst of the flames around it. They barely managed to dive inside the diner as the van was transformed into a superheated fireball, singeing the three people who just barely escaped it.

Audrey was already beginning to shake in the aftermath as the others began to swarm around them. Tessa had sheathed her sword and nearly started panicking as she patted out the tiny fires that were trying to catch hold on their clothing. Michael reached forward to grab the angel's hand, his eyes desperately searching hers for reassurance that she was okay. Tessa could feel her panic receding as his gaze met hers, her breathing still erratic from the dash to the door and the confrontation with the flames. She gripped his hand tighter.

They both snapped to attention as Charlie screamed, the pitcher of water in her hand shattering as it hit the tiled floor. The little boy from outside stood only a few feet from the waitress, a butcher knife in hand, gore streaming down his front. Everyone stood in horrified silence, Tessa and Michael springing to their feet. The boy cocked his head, considering Charlie for a moment, before speaking in a terrifyingly resonant voice.

"Don't be scared. I just want to play with your baby." Then he charged forward, slicing at Charlie's pregnant belly, just barely missing as the waitress backpedaled wildly, falling to the floor. In that moment everyone sprang into action as hands flew to guns and Tessa drew her knife. The boy continued to press towards Charlie as she tried to scoot out of the way. Her hands groped for something to defend herself, finally landing on a baking pan, which she used to fend off the child's blows. The boy's final blow was so forceful that his grip slipped, severing his own thumbs as they slid down the keen blade. Tessa nearly retched as he mildly examined his hands, his nonchalance at odds with the grisly wound. Charlie, however, had no such reaction as she kicked out, both feet connecting with the boy's chest.

Tessa was about to charge forward, only to have Michael shove her unceremoniously behind him before moving forward himself to protect Charlie. He leaped over the counter, landing in a protective crouch in front of the pregnant woman, his gun at the ready. The only problem was that the boy vanished. Everyone began to scan the diner for his tiny, blood covered form. Charlie's voice was the only one to prevent complete silence, responding to Michael's question of whether or not she was all right with her own, all but demanding where the boy went. Before anyone could pinpoint where he was, the diner was submerged in darkness as the lights were once again shut off.

As everyone's eyes adjusted, flashlights began to appear, scanning the walls and even the ceiling. Michael leaped over the counter again, his keen eyes searching as well. Tessa was almost afraid to look. The child, with its innocent appearance marred and drenched in Kyle's blood, thumbs missing, terrified her. She felt Michael's reassuring hand on her arm as she scanned the floor, the child's blood soaked hands giving her an idea.

"There," she whispered. Her own eyes, more suited to the dark than regular humans', had noticed the trail of blood the child had left. Flashlights converged on the trail, following it across the floor until it transformed into tiny, bloody handprints moving up the wall to the ceiling. They all held their breath, guns at the ready to neutralize the boy. The beams of light traced to boy's path right to where it ended, midway across the ceiling. Eyes started to frantically search the rest of the dining room, as Bob muttered in disbelief from the other end of the room.

The silence was definitively broken by a small, almost triumphant yell as the boy fastened his thumb-less hands around Bob's neck, trying to strangle him. As gunpoints converged on the diner's owner, everyone realized that they couldn't get a clear shot. Tessa, who was closest, started forward, only to freeze as the boy locked his stare on her, cocking his head slightly as though considering her. Bob continued to thrash, trying to dislodge the possessed boy as Jeep circled around him, trying to get a clear shot, the boy all the while keeping his gaze fixed on Tessa. His blond hair and big brown eyes drew her memories from the dark recesses of her mind, turning a child from dreams long past into a terrible nightmare. He even looked like she had always imagined—the eyes were so similar, as was the expression of distaste within them.

Michael finally surged forward, ripping the boy from Bob's back and hurling him against the far wall. The gun in Jeep's hands tracked him as the boy flew through the air, letting loose a stream of gunfire before he even hit the ground. Tessa could feel herself begin to tremble as the life in the boy's eyes dimmed, never once leaving her face. More of her buried memories had begun to surface as the boy's gaze locked with hers. Michael, seeing the look on his fellow angel's face, made to move toward her, but Charlie's yell halted him in his tracks. Every eye in the building swiveled to the waitress, who was now doubled over in pain clutching her swollen belly. Looking up, she met Michael's eyes, fear beginning to take hold as a contraction ripped through her body.

"It's coming." Tessa heard Charlie's quiet voice from the far, dark place that her mind had retreated. Snapping back to herself, her eyes fell in the waitress, a dark, heartrending feeling overcoming her. Without another word, she slammed her knife back into its sheath and bolted from the room. Michael's blue gaze followed her, guessing fairly easily the cause of his lover's reaction. He was torn; he desperately wanted to follow Tessa to the roof, where he suspected she was headed, but Charlie and the baby she carried were going to need him. Obviously no one here was going to know what to do. The only one in the room to have actually had a baby was currently tied up and out of her mind. That left him. Turning to Jeep and Bob, he ordered them to follow Tessa to the roof to stand watch, fearing a run on the diner as the Possessed ran out of time to finish the job themselves.

However, the Possessed were not what he feared most right now.

**A/N So? What'd you all think? Reviews are appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Still don't own Legion. First off, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed! I absolutely love the feedback and am deliriously happy that people are enjoying the product of my overactive imagination. :P Unfortunately no Gabriel yet, but that's the next chapter! Until then, we'll find out some more about Tessa's past! I will warn you all though, there is mention of rape in this chapter, so if that makes anyone uncomfortable, I apologize. **

**R&R**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Three still figures sat on the roof of the Diner as the night wore on. Sometime, midnight came and went, inconspicuously marking the beginning of Christmas day; something that Bob hadn't failed to make a smart comment about. Tessa sat by herself, silently surveying the terrain from the back of the diner. Like Michael, she knew what was likely coming, but she wasn't afraid, not yet, anyway. She figured when the moment arrived she would be, but for now the world seemed almost normal. Mere hours earlier, she'd held Michael in her arms, pretending that this wasn't happening. Now, he was downstairs, helping to deliver mankind's last hope for survival.

She knew she should be right there beside him, but Tessa couldn't force herself to move from her perch on the edge of the roof. The memories that had been dredged up made that impossible. She had nearly forgotten certain aspects of her life before, like her family. The possessed boy downstairs had woken those memories almost painfully. His soft-looking blonde hair and rounded face brought to the fore memories of beloved nieces and nephews, as well as the jealous desire to hold a child that was her own. A desire that had been more powerful than anything she had experienced in her short life to that point. On the other side, the boy's scornful brown eyes had served to remind her of crushing betrayal and heartbreak.

That dream of her own child had been crushed the same time her mortal life was snuffed out. Truthfully, she didn't even know if angels could bear children; she'd never thought to find out. The memories of wanting a child of her own had been buried along with many of the memories of her life before. The instant they returned to her conscious thoughts, she couldn't even bear to look at Charlie anymore. The pain was too great. So now she sat on a rooftop in one of the most inhospitable places she'd ever been while her lover delivered another woman's unwanted baby. Oh, the cruel irony.

She looked up at the sound of soft footsteps approaching behind her. Sighing, she turned slightly, just enough to see Bob standing a few feet from her. He cleared his throat, but her gaze didn't waver. She was far past caring about her past philosophies about men. All she wanted now was for her torturous memories to give her a moment's peace. At the moment, the best way to accomplish that was to engage in conversation.

"Something on your mind?" Bob coughed a little, not quite expecting her to speak first. Since she'd arrived, the angel had only really talked to Michael, if you didn't count the odd word here and there. The owner of Paradise Falls cleared his throat again.

"That was really somethin', the way you went to help Audrey. I've never seen anyone fight like that." Tessa felt the corner of her mouth quirk a little as she looked back out across the desert.

"Thank you. It is what I do, though. I'm a soldier, fighting is what I am." Bob seemed a little disconcerted by this. He shuffled a bit.

"You don't like us very much, do you?" It was simple statement, one that Tessa had been expecting at some point. She had, after all, made no secret of it. She took a deep breath.

"You, personally, I don't mind to much; the crustiness is a little trying, as is the skepticism. The others here, I like them well enough, I suppose. It's mankind in general that I'm not fond of."

"This might come off as a bit rude, but isn't that the same attitude that 'God' has at the moment." Tessa thought for a moment, taking in the man's words, disregarding his lingering disbelief. In a way he was right; she had lost faith in humanity a long time ago, at least, she thought she had. Now—

"I suppose. But I have been trying. Sometimes it's hard to escape one's past. Nevertheless, I am trying." She fixed him with another stare, this time watching him digest what she said. Nodding, he returned to Jeep's side, satisfied with her answers, something resolving itself in his eyes. Tessa couldn't help but smile faintly. Bob was yet another flawed soul who was desperately trying to find the light again. Only he was, ironically enough, looking for something to believe in.

Tessa stood and stretched, pacing a bit before settling again, this time a little closer to Bob and Jeep, half listening to their quiet conversation. Every now and then, a cry of pain from Charlie below them pierced the quiet of the night. Tessa couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut against the phantoms of her own past pain as the wails faded into the night. So she clung to the quiet thread of conversation between Jeep and his father. That didn't really help a great deal either as they were talking about Charlie. Eventually they too fell quiet.

The silence of the night was broken when a horn bellowed across the bleak desert, seeming to emanate from the very bowels of the earth. Bob, who was already standing, looked around in bewilderment while Jeep jumped to his feet. Tessa froze, the fear that she had been waiting for descending upon her.

"What the hell was that?" Bob's voice was afraid, which was as it should be, considering the meaning behind the supernatural blast of sound. Tessa tried to swallow her fear, managing to push it aside as she slowly got to her feet, standing precariously on the ledge of the roof. Both of the men with her turned to face the angel, their eyes searching for answers. She could only manage to whisper one thing.

"He's coming." In an instant she was down through the roof hatch.

* * *

Audrey knelt in front of Charlie, her arms full of the items that Michael had told her to collect as Charlie's voice had instructed her where to find everything. Charlie's time was getting closer, but for the moment she was calm. The last contraction had faded, and it would be several minutes before another came. Audrey sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, watching Charlie's damp face smooth as she rested for a moment.

"Thank you, for saving me." Michael looked up at the teenager, meeting her earnest gaze. He nodded once in response, dabbing at Charlie's damp face with a cool cloth.

"That was a very brave thing you did. You gave no thought for yourself, despite the risks." Audrey gave him a cynical smile.

"I didn't do a great job of it. I ended up hiding while you came to rescue me."

"Nevertheless. It is an exceptional quality. Tessa wouldn't have followed or tried to help you for anything less." Audrey frowned, her questions about the other angel surging to the forefront of her mind. Before she could stop, one of them slipped out.

"What is with her anyway? She always seems so angry and—sad." Audrey didn't mean to add the last word, but, like the question itself, it just slipped out. Michael considered her for a moment, dabbing at Charlie's forehead again. The waitress had fixed her eyes on the former angel too, silently echoing Audrey's question. Michael sighed before beginning to tell Tessa's story, pausing every time Charlie's contractions came.

"Teresa was born in the mortal world several centuries ago to a devoutly religious family. She was a good daughter, and grew up loving God and dutifully adhering to His laws as was expected in those times. When she was old enough, a little younger than you, Audrey, she was married to a respectable man, and settled into the role of the gentle, obedient wife." Audrey couldn't help but scoff a little, and Michael nearly smiled as well. Tessa didn't really fit that profile anymore. "She cared for her little house and lived to please God and her family. She was expecting her first child when things changed. One of the local magistrate's sons got it into his head that she wanted him and pursued her. One day, when her husband was away, he broke into her home and forced himself on her. She tired to fight him off but he overpowered her."

Michael's voice darkened as he spoke, remembering the fury inside him when he discovered what she had endured. It was part of what had compelled him to be the one to guide her soul to Heaven. "Her husband came home to find her ravished and turned her in for adultery, never even pausing to hear her side of the story. It was a bitter blow, for she had grown to care for him deeply." Shock and anger appeared on the faces of the women beside him, but Michael continued.

"She swore that she had tried to fight her attacker off and that he forced her. Even when they tortured her, trying to get her to confess she never gave in. But the Magistrate's son insisted she tricked and bewitched him to sin. Unfortunately his word held sway, and Tessa was convicted of adultery and witchcraft and sentenced to be burned at the stake, which was a very long and very painful way to die. Before the week was out, they executed her, ending her mortal life." Audrey looked horrified, and the blood had drained from Charlie's face. Michael was silent, his jaw clenched.

"But what about her baby?" Michael sighed, remembering the pain on Tessa's face as she dashed to the roof when Charlie's contractions started.

"She miscarried soon after she was attacked, and they used that as evidence to convict her. That's where her bitterness towards mankind stems, from the loss of her child at the hands of her attacker and the merciless torture they subjugated her to, trying to make her lie about what happened. Her faith helped her strength to endure and it never dimmed. She has always been a devout follower of God, even after what they put her though. Her faith in Him never weakened, even when they tied her to the stake and set the fires that destroyed her body." Audrey shuddered. Charlie groaned as another contraction hit her, but she tried not to cry out, Tessa's story still fresh in her mind. Michael squeezed her hand in reassurance, his mind wandering to the woman on the roof. Audrey was thoughtful for a moment, hugging her knees tighter to her body, not speaking until Charlie's contraction passed.

"That's why she said her mother never had the chance to blame her." Audrey's voice was so quiet that Michael almost didn't hear her. He sighed. He'd heard about what Sandra had said to her daughter.

"She has always believed that her mother blamed her for what happened. Whether she did or not, I don't know, but what they did to her stained her family's reputation. Unrighteously so, but it did nonetheless. In her love for her family and grief at their pain, she took the blame onto herself, even though she was guiltless on all counts." He was interrupted as Charlie gasped before crying out in pain, a particularly powerful contraction ripping through her body. Michael locked eyes with Audrey as he helped Charlie brace herself against him. The teenager had unfolded herself and was once again kneeling between the waitress's legs.

"It won't be long now. Get ready to do what I say." Charlie gripped Michael's hands as another cry escaped from her lips, as Audrey began to look panicked.

"Wait, just because I'm a girl does not mean I know how to do this!"

"Stay calm and do exactly as I tell you." Michael's voice was a little sharper than he intended, but he was still on edge with worry and from the reminder of Tessa's pain. Audrey didn't seem to take it to heart though.

"How do you know what to do?" Her voice was incredulous as she stared at the angel. Charlie continued to cry out, almost sobbing with the pain, her body tensing as the contraction intensified. She was gripping Michael's hands so hard that her fingernails were digging painfully into his skin. He didn't seem to notice though, as he was too intent at getting Charlie and the baby through this as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, out of nowhere a deep, reverberating horn sounded, startling the trio in the diner as much as the trio on the roof. The very building seemed to vibrate around them as the horn echoed through the night.

"What the fuck is that?" Audrey yelled over the sound of the horn, barely able to be heard. Michael looked up at the ceiling in worry before speaking, echoing Tessa's words above him.

"He's coming." He looked at Audrey for a moment before turning his attention to the woman leaning against him. "We need to hurry now, Charlie." Audrey was floored.

"Whaddya meant 'hurry'! This isn't exactly something we can hurry!"

"You're going to want to." Tessa raced past them to the front window, sparing a glance at Audrey as she passed. Michael glanced at her with concern, but when she refused to look in his direction he turned his attention back to Charlie.

"I need you to push now. You push like you've never pushed before. Push!"

"Michael, who's coming?" Audrey was still looking at the former angel in pure, terrified confusion. He just ignored her, continuing to tell Charlie to push. The waitress yelled as she struggled to comply, nearly delirious with pain. Tessa forced herself to look around, meeting Audrey's eyes for the briefest of instants before locking on Charlie. The horn sounded again, louder than before, snapping Tessa out of her trance. Lights began to pulse outside, illuminating Tessa's face with an eerie backlight as they undulated across the desert. Hordes of the Possessed were encircling the lonely building, yet not one made any move to attack. They all stood as still and quiet as statues, seemingly impervious to the night's chill or the sound of the horn echoing across the landscape. They were here to stand witness. The girl was looking from one angel to the other in panic.

"Michael?"

"Gabriel." Audrey didn't hear her, but then, Tessa had mostly whispered it to herself, fighting to keep her own apprehension at bay. Turning, she headed back up to the roof, finding Bob and Jeep staring out at the possessed with fear in their eyes. She came to stand on Jeep's right, exchanging a glance with both of them. Down below, Charlie cried out one last time.

Audrey lifted the baby away from his mother's body, wrapping it in the tea towel she had ready and waiting on her lap. She grinned foolishly as the baby wailed, flailing its tiny arms. Michael looked at the child almost impassively, relief coursing through his body. Now humanity would have a chance. Audrey tried to hand the baby to its mother, but her smile faded as Charlie turned her head away, refusing to even look at him.

"Here's your baby. No, it's okay, your baby's fine. Look."

"She's alright. Give her some time." Michael's voice was quiet, and distinctly sad as he gently pushed the baby deeper into Audrey's arms. The confusion on her face was heartrending, and for that reason he was glad Tessa had once again retreated to the roof. It would've broken her heart to see this exchange. Audrey stood, clutching the baby to her chest as she began to pace around the diner. Michael continued to hold Charlie as silent sobs wracked her body. He watched as Audrey sat beside her mother, showing her the baby. He couldn't help but be pleased for the teenager when Sandra began to speak to her softly, recalling when Audrey was a baby before trying to apologize about earlier. It was a tender moment, one that went a long way to begin healing the rent Sandra had torn in their already rocky relationship the day before. Michael helped Charlie to sit on her own before shifting his own position, ignoring the way his muscles protested. He was tired. He sat leaning his back against the counter, trying not to think about what was sure to come. The waitress curled up against the same counter, only with her back to him.

"Are we safe now?" Her voice was fearful, though exhaustion permeated her words. Michael didn't even shift his gaze to her, shaking his head.

"No." He gazed at nothing in particular, his thoughts turning to each person left in the diner in turn, lingering on Tessa. "No. But now at least the child will have the chance to grow up. A chance to lead the world out of darkness."

"What happens until then?" Now he did look over, still focusing on nothing in particular, waiting to see if the waitress would turn to face him. When she didn't he turned his gaze to focus on her still form.

"You need to show him how." She shook her head slowly, her voice angry, though that resentment was focused on herself.

What makes you think I can do that? What makes you think I want to do that?" Michael just watched her, seeing more than the bitterness she was showing. She was scared and doubtful; she truly didn't think she could. She truly believed she was destined to be a bad mother. He lowered his gaze back to the floor, which was now streaked with dirt and blood. "If he's so important why don't you take him?" Michael withheld a sigh. If only it were like that. She still didn't understand how important she was. She was so much more than just the woman to birth man's hope. He leaned closer.

"Because this journey is yours." Standing, he rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment, trying to reassure her in anyway he could before giving her space to think.

From the roof, Tessa, Bob and Jeep could hear the baby cry. They watched as the possessed began to stir, discomforted by the sounds of the baby's wail, some even letting out their own anguished cries. Once again, Tessa descended into the diner, leaving Bob and Jeep to stare out at the masses in confusion.

* * *

Audrey sat leaning beside her mother, deep in thought as the baby squirmed in her arms. Michael knelt beside her, laying a hand on the baby's head. The teen looked up at the angel, meeting his pale blue eyes.

"You did well, Audrey." She smiled faintly, looking back down at the baby. She had another question about Tessa, something that had been nagging her. She looked back up at Michael, hesitating to ask.

"Um—if she's so bitter towards humans because of what they did to her, why doesn't she hate us or try to kill us like the others? Why is she taking our side?" Michael looked thoughtfully at the teenager, considering how to answer. But before he could speak, another did.

"Because despite the darkness I see, and have seen, despite what was done to me, I still see hope in humanity." Tessa paused, her longing gaze resting for a moment on the baby in Audrey's arms, "it took me a long time to see past my hatred and my hurt, but then I began to see and remember the good things humankind has to offer, even from the flawed souls," There wasn't a trace of sarcasm or cynicism in her voice, only resignation and acceptance. She knelt beside Audrey, slowly, tentatively reaching out to stroke the baby's soft cheek, a single tear escaping onto her own. Michael watched her, not understanding how it took all this to realize he loved her.

"I could not ignore what my heart told me."

"Which was?" They all turned to Charlie, who stood beside the counter watching them. Her voice was quiet, and her anxious eyes looked at the angel in a mix of fear and empathy. Tessa watched the new mother for a moment, a silent, unexplainable understanding passing between them. When she answered, her voice was just as quiet as Charlie's, but no less emotional.

"That humankind does not deserve to die."

The moment was broken as the horn sounded again from the deep, shaking the very foundations of the building. Michael stood, slowly, a distanced look descending on his features. Tessa watched him as he stood, her hand coming to rest on Audrey's shoulder as the deep, reverberating sound ceased into silence again.

Not even a minute passed before Jeep was walking into the dining room, Bob hot on his heels. Michael was already engrossed in the weapons arrayed before him.

"Something's happening. They're moving away." Michael didn't even look up as Jeep strode towards him. The angel continued to recheck and reload his guns. Tessa stood beside Audrey, an arm around the trembling girl's shoulder.

"We need to go. The possessed can't come near the child, but He sent someone who can, someone like me." Bob and Jeep looked stared at Michael. Tessa tensed, her arm tightening around Audrey's shoulders. She knew what was coming next.

"Like you?" Bob's voice was distinctly accusing, so Tessa suspected Jeep hadn't relayed what little he knew to his father.

"Gabriel." It wasn't a question. She knew it was his horn just as surely as Michael did, and she knew it meant he was coming. She had followed it to battle many times in the past, and had watched it strike terror into the demons she battled. All eyes shifted to her as she spoke his name, but Tessa didn't flinch. She couldn't change the truth. When she didn't continue, all eyes turned back to the archangel. He snapped a new clip into place, setting that gun down and picking up another.

"Yes, Gabriel. He's come here to do what I wouldn't." Tessa tensed even further, inhaling sharply causing Audrey to look up in bewilderment. The angel had suspected what Michael's orders had been, but she hadn't known for sure until now. Looking down at the tiny life in Audrey's arms, that task seemed all the more repugnant. After her, Jeep was the next to connect the dots. Then again, he was probably the only other person in this room who knew Michael had disobeyed his orders to come here.

"You were the one that was supposed to kill the baby." Shock stunned everyone in the roof as Michael sadly looked up from the guns in his hands. "That's the order you didn't obey." Movement from the kitchen caught Tessa's eye as Charlie stepped out of the shadows, an expression of betrayal plainly written in her eyes. Michael caught sight of her, not answering Jeep's question.

"We need to go." Charlie didn't respond to his statement, her eyes still fixed on the archangel.

"What is he talking about?"

"Gather up whatever weapons we have left." Michael brushed off her question as though it was nothing. Tessa took a step forward, her arm loosening from around Audrey's shoulders. Michael spared her a glance, gauging her reaction to his orders. She wasn't pleased either. Charlie didn't relent, quickening her pace.

"What are you talking about?"

"We need to go now. Now!"

"Michael, answer me!" They both yelled at the same time, staring at each other in a battle of wills. Michael could feel all eyes on him, waiting for an explanation . . . even Tessa. He took a deep breath, giving in to the combined glare of the mother in front of him and his lover behind her. The grief was obvious on his face as he began to speak, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

"The baby. The baby was never meant to be born." Charlie looked at him in mistrust, unconsciously backing away. Tessa shut her eyes in pain, willing her tears not to fall as Michael's quiet words cut through her. The archangel held out his hand to the waitress, his voice sad and pleading as he walked slowly towards her. Charlie continued to back away from him, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Tessa pulled Audrey close again, trying to regain control over her own emotions.

"But the future has been unwritten. The child lives. And while he does there's still hope." Charlie looked at him for a moment longer, before spinning around and walking toward Audrey.

"Audrey, the baby." Charlie's voice was bordering on desperate as Audrey pulled away from Tessa, offering up the baby to his mother. He never reached his mother's arms.

The moment the baby was within reach, Sandra had leapt from her chair, snatching the baby from her daughter's arms. Michael immediately brought up his gun, coolly tracking Sandra without a hint of indecision. The deranged woman immediately circled toward the door, looking up at her daughter who stood staring at her, horrified at what she was doing.

"Audrey, come. Come." Bob stepped forward, just as aghast as Audrey.

"What are you doing?" Tessa could feel the rage building inside her as she realized what the woman wanted to do.

"You heard what he said. They just want the baby. I'm gonna give them the baby, then they're going to let us go." A wild light shone from Sandra's eyes. No one dared move for fear of what she might do. Sandra continued to gesture at her daughter. Charlie took a step toward her, her face alight with fury, pointing dangerously at the woman who held her son.

"You give him back to me right now!"

"Why?" Sandra had clearly lost her mind, "You didn't even want him in the first place!" The horn sounded again, infinitely louder than before, and a bright, blazing light came through the slats behind Sandra, silhouetting the trembling woman. She didn't even look around. Tessa's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen, her fury bleeding from her body as dread took over.

"Come on, Audrey. Audrey, come with me!" The girl looked devastated as she shook her head slowly, refusing to go to her mother. Sandra looked around wildly. Tessa began to tremble as the horn's call grew louder.

"It's just one baby." Sandra was trying to rationalize with herself more than the others, their impassive and condemning expressions shaking the resolve of her tenuous sanity. Michael held the gun steady. "It's just one baby." This time she whispered, her voice almost lost in the call of the horn. The light from outside continued to build, reaching its blinding apex.

"He's here." Tessa stated impassively, her voice oddly serene. With a deafening crash the door exploded in a shower of splinters, the light from outside pouring in.


	6. Chapter 6

**First off, I'm sorry about the cliff-hanger, but that was the best place to make a chapter break, and I will admit I did take a certain amount of guilty pleasure in the reviews I got. But, I also remember my own frustrations when stories I'm reading end with cliffhangers, so here's the next chapter without delay. :D**

**Secondly, thanks for all the reviews! They really do make my day! **

**So here's the chapter many of you have been waiting for! Enjoy! Funny, I can't quite believe it was a year ago yesterday that I first saw Legion in theatres. . . **

**Oh, and R&R!**

Chapter 6

The instant the door crashed in Michael took his shot, Sandra's head snapping back with the impact. Charlie and Audrey screamed as Sandra fell, the baby flying from her arms. As Michael fired again, pushing Sandra's body out to door, both Jeep and Audrey rushed forward, their eyes fixed on the falling bundle. Jeep was too far away, but the teenager was not, catching the baby even as she landed hard on the tile floor, the wind knocked out of her. Even so, as she struggled to catch her breath, she hugged the baby close, shielding him with her own body. Charlie gasped in relief, but it was short lived.

Silhouetted by the blinding light outside, a massive figure strode through the door. Tessa eyes widened as he became visible. Taller than Michael and easily twice as broad, he towered over the rest or them, his cold ice-blue eyes surveying them all in turn, lingering for a long moment on Tessa, his expression impassive and focused. His immense frame was arrayed for battle, his breastplate and pauldrons shining in the light and a gigantic, deadly mace held in his hand. Audrey cried out in shock while the others looked on in horrified amazement as Gabriel spread his huge iron-grey wings, his gaze shifting to the girl at his feet. Jeep froze a few feet from her, his hand still outstretched to reach the teenager.

Audrey and Gabriel locked eyes for the briefest of moments before the Archangel brought his mace to bear, his face twisting as his arm swung the weapon towards the girl. Audrey managed to twist away just in time as the mace crashed through the tiles with a loud, metallic thud. He brought the bladed mace to bear again, this time only missing Audrey by a hair as Jeep lunged forward and pulled her back, yanking her to her feet. Tessa pushed Charlie toward the pair of them as Bob opened fire. Gabriel just spun, his feathers deflecting the bullets with little more than insubstantial pings. Tessa and Jeep pushed Charlie back into the kitchen as Audrey laid the baby in her arms. Bob continued to fire ineffectually at the angel.

With a soft metallic swish, the gunfire stopped. Jeep, Tessa and the girls looked back to see Bob staring down in shock at the deep slice Gabriel's wing had made across his stomach. The diner was silent as his blood began dripping to the floor. With a snarl, the archangel backhanded the diner's owner, sending him flying clear over the counter into the kitchen. Jeep yelled out in agony as his father crashed into the stoves before landing heavily on the floor.

"Don't, Jeep! No!" Michael was there in an instant, pushing Jeep towards the back of the diner as the boy screamed, trying to reach his father. Bob didn't move from where he fell. Tessa pulled him back too, helping Michael get him away from his father's body. The former angel grabbed Jeep's face, forcing him to make eye contact. "No! The child! Get the child out of here." Tessa frowned, only just realizing what her lover was planning to do.

"What about you?" He didn't break eye contact with Jeep, even as she practically screamed in his ear, desperation sinking in. He just continued to speak to Jeep.

"Don't be afraid." His voice hardened as he thrust the keys to the police cruiser into his hand. "Find the Prophets. Learn to read the instructions." Jeep was bewildered, as was Tessa, who felt a familiar sense of resolve settle in the pit of her stomach. Jeep continued to yell at Michael as he walked away, toward Gabriel.

"Prophets? What Prophets? What instructions?" Michael turned, pointing past them.

"Go! All of you." Tessa pushed past the others, single-mindedly heading for Michael.

"No. No! I'm not leaving!" Michael grabbed her shoulders, his fingers digging in almost painfully. Their eyes connected, and she saw there the same desperation and determination she had.

"Go, Tessa. I need you to keep them safe. I need you to get them out of here!" She almost snarled at him, trying to fight off his iron grip as he pushed her back too. She caught a glimpse of Gabriel's face over Michael's shoulder. She saw his expression soften for a moment before the resolve she feared most in settled in his eyes. She was all but sobbing now.

"I'm not leaving! I'm not going to leave you!" Michael's voice was soft and quiet, the agony in it causing her to close her eyes in her own pain.

"Please, Tessa. I want you safe!" A sob tore at her throat as he pulled her close, kissing her hard before pushing her towards the others.

"Go!" He yelled, his grief tearing her heart apart.

"Michael—"

"Go." Her whisper was too quiet to be heard before he cut her off, his own voice barely audible. Yet the man in front of her nodded in understanding at everything she tried to say in the one word she had managed to get out. She watched him mouth 'I love you' back at her before tearing herself away, pushing the others almost violently towards the back exit, swiping her tears away as she went. She ignored to looks of sympathy and pain Charlie and Audrey shot back at her as she pulled her sword from its sheath, resolve once more settling in her stomach.

Jeep opened the back door, shielding Charlie and the baby with his body. Outside the possessed stood silently, moving to creating a gauntlet as they walked toward the LAPD police cruiser Michael had arrived in. The tiny group inched forward, Jeep leading with the gun held in front of him, ready to fire if any of them so much as moved. Audrey clung close to Tessa while Charlie pressed herself to Jeep's back, holding her son as tightly to her chest as she dared.

A single possessed figure didn't move out of the way as the group approached. She was young and slight, wearing a ribbon-trimmed white nightdress that matched the deathly pale colour of her skin. Over her head was a blood spattered and soaked paper bag, her long dark hair matted with gore. She watched them seemingly without eyes, following their every movement, and began to rhythmically beat the piece of iron in her hand against the hood of the car. Tessa was severely tempted to tear her apart.

Jeep opened the passenger side door and helped Charlie into the car while Tessa pulled open the back door, gently guiding Audrey inside. As the angel moved to close the door, Audrey stopped it, half getting out again as an expression of bewilderment bloomed on her young face. Jeep and Charlie paused, watching as teenager stared at the angel.

"What are you doing, I thought you were coming with us!" Tessa sheathed her sword, gently reached inside and pushed the girl into the seat. Removing the girl's hands from the door, the angel shut it gently behind her. Looking to Jeep and Charlie, who also watched her in fearful bewilderment, Tessa sighed.

Without hesitation, she took a step backwards, shedding her long black jacket in one swift motion, throwing it to Jeep, who caught it. With a soft, vaguely metallic rustle, her pewter-grey wings unfurled behind her, stretching to their full, staggering width. Charlie and Jeep couldn't help but look on in a terrified amazement, and a gasp of surprise and wonder escaped from Audrey. Shuffling them slightly before drawing them back toward her body, the angel once again met their eyes as her small, almost cynical smile crept to her lips. It looked more like a grimace now.

"Get in the car. I'll follow. After all, I've got my own transportation."

* * *

Inside, Michael stood in one corner of the diner, staring at the floor, reliving Tessa's last words to him, both the one spoken and those he hadn't let her say. His own resolve had been tenuous at best as the pain had surfaced in her eyes. Hadn't he once sworn never to hurt her? When he had promised that, she had been new to her wings, and Michael had never imagined they would be in this situation now. No one could have.

His brother stood across from him, the metallic swish of his wings furling behind him the only sounds breaking the silence. Gabriel stared back, contemplating his brother, a strange expression on his face. Michael took a deep breath, his words quiet and resigned in the empty diner.

"I knew he'd send you, Gabriel." He looked up, meeting his brother's icy-blue gaze with his own, "You were always so eager to please him."

"Unlike you," The slight waver in Gabriel's low, deep voice betrayed his conflicting emotions, "the rebellious son." Michael knew his brother well enough to know the contempt in the voice of God's Messenger wasn't wholeheartedly felt. Gabriel shook his head, a hint of despair in his expression.

"Your wings—" He paused, momentarily overcome even thinking about what Michael had done to separate himself from Heaven to help the child. When he spoke, the emotionless tone had returned, attempting to mask the Archangel's pain at his brother's situation. "They would've helped you now." Michael nodded slightly.

"To not feel their burden is a dream." Even as he said those words, his tone was sad. The two archangels continued to stare at each other.

"Do you think you can defy him and . . . not pay the price?" Michael watched his brother carefully, taking in every fluctuation in his tone and every expression he made. The price was higher than he'd expected, since he hadn't dreamed that he was going to be followed. That, he did regret. He started to move closer.

"The child lives," he moved closer still, looking for a hint of compassion in his brother's face. Only the Messenger's eyes betrayed his conflict. "He lives. It doesn't matter what happens to me." Michael noticed Gabriel stiffen, his resolve wavering for the briefest of moments. They were standing face to face now. Gabriel considered his brother for a moment, hard pressed to keep his despair to himself. He had a job to do.

"Yours is a fool's sacrifice, Michael. You can help them run, but they won't escape," he clenched his jaw for a heartbeat, wishing he didn't have to say what came next, "Neither will you, my brother." Michael felt strangely calm, meeting his brother's troubled gaze without hesitation.

"I'm not running anymore." Gabriel's face hardened, his jaw clenching again. Michael looked at him for a moment, placing his hand on his brother's cheek, forcing him to meet his gaze. "It's enough. There's another way." Gabriel's control crumbled, his eyes glistening with grief. No longer able to meet his brother's calm, resolved gaze, he lowered his eyes, fighting to regain control. A part of him didn't want to. Part of him wanted to join Michael. Inhaling deeply, he grasped his brother's hand in one last farewell, slowly pulling his emotions in check as he gazed at their clasped hands. He hesitated to speak, not sure if he could. In his heart he wanted to believe. He didn't want to be the one to strike down his brother. They were two parts of a whole. He couldn't imagine existing without him.

"There is no other way." Gabriel's voice was soft and sad, but if was also full of conviction. He would do what he had to—even if it tore his own heart apart. Michael closed his eyes, his head lowering as his last plea fell on ears that refused to listen. Gabriel roughly pushed him back, his gaze once again hard and cold. Michael brought his gun to bear, ready to face the archangel before him in a battle that would likely lead to his death. He didn't flinch or even look up as the blades of Gabriel's mace extended into place. Flicking the safety off, he looked up to see his brother extending his formidable wingspan to its full width, the feathers hardened and battle ready, creating an impenetrable shield. The razor-sharp primary feathers were quite possibly even more deadly than his formidable mace. Gabriel's voice was soft as he asked one last question, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"Do you love her?" Michael inhaled deeply, memories of Tessa going back centuries flitting through his mind. How he wished to have even one more minute with her, to hold her in his arms and breath in the sweet scent of her hair. He exhaled, hating to hurt his brother in yet another way. He knew from the expression on his face that Gabriel still loved her.

"Yes. More than I have ever imagined I could."

With a grimace, the Archangel charged, his wings swinging forward to shield him as Michael opened fire. Leaping onto the booths to try and get around Gabriel, he just barely missed getting his leg torn off by a viscous swing of his brother's bladed mace. The booth behind him splintered in a shower of wood and metal fragments. Jumping down he opened fire again, not surprised in the least when the bullets ricocheted off Gabriel's metallic wings. Gabriel took another swing, his wings following through in a deadly fan, just missing as Michael ducked in time, rolling out of the way.

Knowing the action was futile, he continued to pull the trigger, trying to track Gabriel as the angel used his wings to propel himself up and across the room. The former angel rolled over the counter into the kitchen just as Gabriel's mace came crashing down, shattering the countertop in a spray of shards. He spun, his wingtips whistling above Michael's head right before he sprung up, dealing Gabriel a heavy blow to the face with the butt of his rifle. Unfazed, the archangel spun again, the primaries on his wings slicing through the air as Michael propelled himself over his brother's attack. He landed lightly on his feet, turning to let loose another barrage of bullets. Gabriel charged again, Michael launching himself over the metallic wings to land behind him.

Gabriel spun with astonishing speed, anticipating Michael's next move. The spike on the tip of his mace was rammed down the barrel of Michael's gun, the archangel's expression daring him to pull the trigger. Taking the chance, Michael's finger squeezed. the gun exploding between them. Gabriel jumped up with the help of his wings to slam both of his feet into Michael's chest, propelling his brother across the room. Michael crashed into the wall, falling to the ground as the Archangel charged forward, a fierce battle cry on his lips.

He leaped into the air, using the momentum of his falling body to further enhance the swing of his mace. The former angel slid to the side just in time, watching as the mace embedded itself in the clapboard wall where his head had been a moment earlier. He shouldered Gabriel hard in the chest, causing him to stumble back, the mace pulling free from the wall. He awkwardly tried to swing his weapon, but Michael was too close for it to be effective.

Michael took his chance, trying to push him back with first a kidney-shot then a blow aimed for his head. Gabriel, however, dodged his second punch and, using both hands, jammed the mace's handle to his throat, trying to cut off Michael's air supply. Barely able to get his hands up in time to prevent the blow from crushing his windpipe, Michael struggled to push the mace away. He almost missed Gabriel twist the handle, causing the mace-head to spin dangerously close to his face. With a yell, Michael managed to push the weapon away with one last desperate shove, catching his brother's jaw with his fist, but he was unprepared for Gabriel's return attack as the angel slammed the mace's handle first across his face before thrusting it into his gut. As Michael doubled-over against the wall, the wind knocked out of him, Gabriel backed away, arching back to bring the mace crashing down on his brother.

It was then that Tessa smashed through the diner window, slamming into Gabriel's side with a thunderous crack, throwing him off balance. Gabriel howled in pain as she rolling to her feet. She faced him in a crouch, her blue-eyes furious as she prepared to move in again. Gabriel spun to face her, anguish spreading across his face for the briefest of moments. Michael took the opportunity to leap onto the counter and grab Bob's fritzy tv, smashing it down toward Gabriel's head. The archangel barely got his wing up in time to shield himself, but Michael was already ahead of him, throwing a powerful punch into his jaw before he could fully recover. As Gabriel staggered back, Michael raced to Tessa's side, pulling her back.

"Why did you come back?" Her fury withdrew for a moment, revealing her anguish at leaving him behind.

"Because I couldn't just let him kill you!" He pushed her back as Gabriel wound up for another pass, rushing forward to halt the swing before he could unleash it, crashing into Gabriel's arm. He was knocked down with a powerful punch from Gabriel's other hand before being lifted from the ground by his neck. Tessa didn't hesitate, rushing forward herself to deal the archangel a blow to the back of the head, causing him to loose his grip. The arm gripping the mace swung back, Gabriel's elbow catching Tessa hard in the gut, flinging her across the room.

Michael dealt his brother another strong blow, rotating to dodge away as his arms tried to wrap around him, using Gabriel's momentum to flip the angel onto his back. He aimed a kick at his stomach, Gabriel nearly getting propelled upright again in the process. The archangel slammed both of his fists forward, sending Michael sliding away from him. He leapt to his feet, grabbing his mace as he spun allowing his wings to fan out around him again. Michael dodged the feathers, but not Gabriel's hand as it whipped out, grabbing him and throwing him down on one of the few undamaged sections of counter. As he wound up to swing again, Tessa used her wings to propel her forward, latching onto his back. Gabriel let out a roar as he twisted, dislodging her grip. As he spun again, she was thrown clear through the last remaining unbroken window at the front of the diner, crashing through the boards as if they were no more than paper.

Michael howled as he watched her body land heavily on the other side of the window, knocking down the remaining comatose Possessed like bowling pins. He grabbed the handgun lying nearby and swung it around to Gabriel, but his brother's mace was too fast for him, wrenching it from his hands. Swinging around for a roundhouse kick, Gabriel caught Michael again, throwing him back. As Michael regained his balance, Gabriel's right pinion slashed across his abdomen. It wasn't as deep a wound as Bob's, but it was deep enough, and Michael felt the blood begin to seep from the gash. They were still for a moment as Michael looked up at his brother. Gabriel, his face contorted with anguish, dealt his brother another blow with his fist, then another, and another. Michael looked about ready to collapse as Gabriel wound back to stab him with the tip of his mace, but at the last second, the former angel deflected it, twisting it out of his hands.

Anguish was now coursing through his own body, driving him on. Michael hit Gabriel again before spinning and aiming a kick to his chest. Gabriel stumbled back. As he recovered, he lowered his head to charge, but Michael was already leaping over him, his arms fastening like cables around Gabriel's thick neck. Gabriel struggled to dislodge him, pumping his wings and smashing Michael into the ceiling, but the former angel refused to let go. Gabriel's air was slowly being cut off, his hands groping at Michael's slowly tightening arms.

"That's enough." Michael said into his ear, his voice ragged from the fight. Gabriel continued to struggle, eyeing his mace just a few feet from him. Reaching out, he felt it under his fingers. Pulling it to him, he straightened again as his vision began to flicker. "Gabriel, that's enough." The archangel turned the mace, positioning the head tight to his shoulder.

* * *

Outside Tessa groaned as she pulled herself to her feet amidst the unmoving Possessed, her thoughts still muddled from the blow that tossed her through a window. It hadn't taken her long to regain consciousness, but getting to her feet had been another matter. All she knew was that Michael was still in there. Ignoring the pain shooting through her body, she looked up, ready to propel herself forward and back into the fight. Michael was hanging onto Gabriel's back, his arms wrapped around the archangel's throat. Gabriel was tucking his mace to his shoulder, carefully positioning his hands as he started to wobble on his feet from air-deprivation.

Right as Tessa started to surge forward, Gabriel twisted the handle, the large spike on the tip of his mace punching through his own shoulder and right through Michael's heart. She could see the look of shock on her beloved's face as the metal spike tore into his body, jutting perversely from his back. Tessa stumbled in disbelief, halting her charge as a scream tried to escape her throat. She found herself choking instead, unable to breath. His face screwed up with more than one kind of agony, Gabriel retracted the spike. Michael slid limply off his brother's back.

This time the scream left her throat, a howl of anguish that ripped through her as her heart felt like it had just been ripped from her chest.

Gabriel looked up to see her standing a few feet from the window, staring at Michael with a look of utter shock and devastation on her face. Tears began to fall from his eyes, his own heart breaking as she took one glance at him before stumbling backwards a few steps, taking to the sky a heartbeat later.

**So, thoughts? Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, first things first. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far; Jenny Joker, Garshaw, Alicja w Krainie Czarow, demonofmusic, BrokenSpirit09, Regretting Crimson, and Scribbled Truth, you guys are awesome and I love getting your reviews! Now, to answer one question that has been posed by a couple of you, no, this particular fic will not be going past the movie. I have a little epilogue, namely because it bugs me when there isn't at least a little sense of closure. I had never intended for it to go farther than the end mostly because I had no idea where to go from there. **

**_However_, since I started posting this story, I have been messing around with the idea of possibly writing a sequel. Any thoughts? It's a very sparse and bare-bones idea at the moment, and I have no idea when I'll be able to write it, but if there is interest, I'll give it a shot.**

**Anyway, back to the story at hand! It's a little shorter than usual and I apologise for that. I hope you'll all still enjoy it though!**

**R&R pretty please and thank you! Oh, and I don't own Legion, much to my eternal disappointment. All I can do is mess with it and add my own twists :P**

Chapter 7

The police cruiser was racing down the highway towards Red Ridge, its occupants unsure what to do next. Jeep was still glancing in bewilderment at the winding scrollwork that had begun to appear on his skin moments before. Mere seconds after Charlie had cried out in bewilderment at the darkening script, a fireball had lit up the night sky behind them. What had happened was obvious; the Paradise Falls Gas'n'Grub was no more. They were distracted instantly by a loud thud from the roof

Audrey only barely kept herself from screaming as a metallic wing dipped into view from her side window. They all held their breath, waiting for the attack they were sure was coming. But as the moments passed, Audrey began to wonder. Bracing herself inside the car, she rolled down the window, half-pulling herself from out of the car.

Clinging to the light-bar, Tessa sat on the roof, her wings now pulled close to her body. Tears were streaming down her face, mingling with the blood seeping from a cut on her hairline as escaped strands of hair whipped around her. Her eyes were devoid of any emotion, terrifying Audrey almost as much as the thought of the angel that was sure to be coming after them. The pieces slowly fell together and Audrey could feel her own tears threatening to fall. The writing on Jeep's skin exactly like Michael's tattoos; the diner exploding; now here was Tessa was clinging to the roof, looking like her entire world had ended. They had all seen the exchange when Michael told them to run, so Audrey had some idea what was between the two of them. The teenager couldn't even begin to understand the grief and anguish that covered the angel's face.

Tessa was trying to pull herself together. She still had a job to do; the last thing that Michael had asked of her and God-knew she was going to see it through, even if it killed her too. But she couldn't shake the image of Michael's shocked face, or of the spike jutting from his back, soaked and dripping with his blood. Only hours ago he had been so very alive. His body had been warm and solid under her touch, his heart beating beneath her cheek, his arms holding her close. Now he was gone, just like that, in the blink of an eye. Stolen by a cruel, flashing streak of angel-forged steel. He was never going to hold her again, or look at her with his stunning gaze. He had been her dearest friend for centuries, listening to her pour out her heart when the memories became too tough to bear, never complaining at the unpredictability of her moods or the hostility of her often-sarcastic remarks. He had always been there to guide her out of her own personal darkness.

Tessa looked over to see Audrey hanging out the window of the cruiser, her expression one of mixed comprehension and misery. She knew. Michael was dead. Tessa tried to give her a reassuring smile, the corner of her mouth only managing to twitch. She had to keep it together. It was her job to protect them now. She gestured for the teenager to get back in the car, her voice still refusing to work.

Audrey hesitated before complying, slowly lowering her body back into the car. Charlie was turned around, watching her carefully, concern written all over her features. Jeep looked over his shoulder every few moments, trying to watch the road but just as concerned as Charlie about Audrey. It took a moment before the teen herself was able to form the words she needed to say.

"It's Tessa. Michael's—Michael's gone." She nearly choked on the last word. He had effectively saved their lives, giving his own in the process. Hell, they had all blamed him or accused him of something at one point, admittedly rather deservingly. He had left Kyle to die and even shot her mother, and yet Audrey was so shaken that all resentment had fled.

Charlie silently began to cry, looking down at her tiny son, a million different thoughts all running through her head. Without Michael, the tiny bundle in her arms would never have survived, none of them would've. She would've been pulled out of the diner by the Possessed, Audrey would've died in that van, and that was only if they had survived the first wave in the first place. He had warned them, after all, and had provided the weapons that kept the Possessed at bay. The fact that they were still alive was all thanks to him. They had all been marked for death before he'd arrived, and yet the four of them were still here, even though others had been lost along the way.

Jeep clenched his jaw, hands tightening on the steering wheel. They were all in shock, but none more so than the angel on the roof. Jeep shook his head, trying to clear it. They couldn't dwell now. They didn't know if Michael had beaten the other angel before succumbing. If the big one was still alive . . .

"Hey, guys, we're here." Audrey's soft voice spoke up from the back seat, her small hand pointing to the approaching sign marking the boundary to Red Ridge National Park. Jeep pulled out his handgun and laid it on the dash.

"Okay, we need to figure out our weapon situation. Hopefully Michael didn't take everything out of the car. Look around." He surprised himself with how confident and in control his voice sounded when he felt anything but. Both Charlie and Audrey wiped their eyes, pulling themselves back to the situation at hand. So far it wasn't promising.

"I've got a flare gun and a couple flares." Audrey pulled them from beneath the seat, but she barely finished talking when something crashed onto the roof of the car, the windows shattering from the impact.

Up on the roof, Tessa just barely turned in time to see Gabriel plummeting toward her. He landed with a foot on either side of her, his wings spread out behind him. With a snarl Tessa jerked her leg around, knocking his out from under him. He nearly plummeted off the car, his grip on the light-bar the only thing holding him up. With a powerful thrust of his wings, he was back up again. But Tessa was ready for him. Nearly to her feet, she swung her leg again, her heel catching him in the face. He grunted, but didn't shift at all. As she tried to strike again, his hand caught her ankle, pulling her closer. She flung her wing up, the joint hitting his jaw, snapping his teeth together. This time he did fall back, trying to drag her with him.

She heard Audrey scream from inside the cruiser as the angel nearly lost her balance. Wrenching her ankle from his grasp, she pumped twice with her wings, shooting forward, crashing her shoulder into Gabriel's chest. He grunted as she impacted his cracked ribs, trying to shove him from the car. He took off, his powerful wings sending him soaring over her head to land behind her on the roof. Spinning, Tessa shot herself forward, trying to knock him off again. This time he anticipated her movement. His arms met her body, deflecting her charge so that her momentum sent her flying over his head.

Audrey watched in dismay as Tessa's body flew out in front of the car, falling uncontrollably to impact in a cloud of dust at the side of the road as they flew past, leaving her behind. Charlie cried out, clutching her baby tighter, echoing an agonized howl from over her head. A squeal of metal came from the roof as Gabriel tore the light-bar from the cruiser and began to pummel the car with his fists. Jeep twisted in his seat and began firing the handgun through the roof, trying to dissuade the angel's attack. They heard him grunt in pain as one bullet clipped his arm, causing him to slip, sliding back to the trunk. Audrey spun, her eyes connecting with the archangel's icy stare as he pulled himself toward the shattered rear window. She was frozen under his eyes, the gleaming blue wavering toward madness as rage and despair warred visibly within them.

Jeep twisted again in his seat, aiming the gun at the angel. Audrey ducked at his shout, her ears ringing as the gun discharged over her head, hitting Gabriel's right pauldron. His arm lost its grip, his flaring wings causing the car to swerve and jerk.

"Audrey, the flare gun!" Jeep struggled to regain control of the cruiser as Audrey dove for the gun. As she spun to fire it though, Gabriel's hand shot forward, knocking the gun away. Her hand jerked with the impact, launching the flare into the car. Everyone ducked and twisted, trying to avoid being hit with the miniature fireball. It careened through the cabin, ricocheting around before finally hitting Gabriel in the face. He lost his grip again, sliding back out onto the trunk. Enraged, he pulled himself forward yet again, intent on reaching the baby in the front seat.

He slammed the gun from Audrey's hand with a growl of rage before backhanding her into the seat. She fell back against the door, out cold. Charlie yelled the girl's name in fear as Gabriel hauled himself forward, reaching towards the waitress. Jeep tried to bring the gun in his hand around again, but Gabriel was too fast, catching his wrist and slamming the gun repeatedly against the steering wheel until it fell from Jeep's hand. The angel then reached forward, pressing Jeep's face back into the seat while his other hand groped for the baby. Yelling for Charlie to get down, Jeep struggled with the angel, trying to pry the iron grip from his throat as his foot searched for the gas. Finding it, he accelerated, watching from the corner of his eye as the speedometer slowly rose from 60 to 70, passing 80 and beyond.

As the car careened ahead, Gabriel struggled to grab the wailing baby from Charlie, his fingers only ever brushing the towels wrapped around his tiny, struggling body.

"Let go of her!" Audrey, coming around as Jeep found the accelerator, launched herself on the angel, all sense of self-preservation gone when she saw the angel trying to grab the tiny newborn. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying desperately to pull him back and get him away from Charlie and her son. The speedometer passed 90, then 100 and was headed for 110 as Audrey caught a glimpse at it. In an instant of clarity she knew what Jeep had planned.

"Jeep, do it! Do it!" With one last heave, Jeep threw Gabriel's hand from his face, hesitating for a moment as he glanced at Audrey before stomping his foot down.

* * *

Tessa got to her feet, spasms of pain rocking her body. Looking up she saw the police cruiser speeding away, Gabriel pulling himself through the back window as his wings wreaked havoc on the car's stability. Moving forward with a groan, she launched herself into the air, flying toward the car as fast as she could. The car sped faster and faster, a desperate fight going on inside.

As she neared the cruiser the brakes squealed and it abruptly decelerated.

With a cry of horror, Tessa watched as Gabriel was flung through the windshield, Audrey clinging to his back. In an instant Tessa was diving toward them, tracking Audrey as she was thrown from the Archangel's back midflight. Tessa's arms wrapped around the girl, pulling her to her chest and twisting around just before they impacted the pavement. The angel cried out in pain as she tried desperately to slow their fall, her own body taking the brunt of the impact. Their second collision with the hard ground wrenched Audrey from her arms as they continued to careen through over the rocky plain. Finally they came to a stop, Audrey falling limply beside Tessa as the angel hovered between awareness and oblivion. She saw that Gabriel had come to rest a few meters from where she lay, his pain-clouded eyes watching her before he slipped into unconsciousness. The relief she'd seen in them disconcerted her. She wanted so badly to hate him right now, she needed to, it was all that was keeping her from collapsing into the desert floor. Struggling to keep the flame of her rage burning bright, she tore her eyes away from her former companion, searching the desert around her for sign of the police car.

Just beyond Gabriel's hulking form the cruiser came to rest on its back, the tires still spinning in an almost macabre attempt to right itself. She sighed in relief as first Charlie emerged from the vehicle still holding the baby, followed shortly by Jeep's stumbling form. With what looked like a last glance in her direction, she watched as the little family began to scale the steep hills that the car came to rest at, Jeep guiding Charlie over the rocky terrain.

Once again struggling to find her feet, Tessa felt the ground heave beneath her, falling to her knees as her body rebelled in agony. Focusing on breathing despite the pain in her chest, she nearly didn't notice Audrey's eyelids fluttering open.

"Tessa?" Pulling herself to the teenager's side, the angel focused on the girl. Despite having Tessa to absorb most of the initial impact, Audrey was in bad shape. Her breathing was laboured and one of her legs was obviously broken. A long, deep gash split her right temple, blood streaming down her pretty face. Swallowing her own pain, Tessa got to her feet, pulling the girl up with her. Audrey nearly screamed as she tried to stand on her busted leg, but she only managed a strangled cry before a fit of coughing consumed her. Tessa wrapped the girl's arms around her neck, holding her close, trying not to further aggravate her internal injuries.

"Can you hang on?" Tessa's voice was quiet, her own pain seeping through. Audrey nodded, her grip tightening in response. As carefully as she could, the angel launched them into the air, forcing her battered body to carry the two of them into the hills just beyond the wreck of the police car.

It didn't take long to spot Jeep and Charlie halfway up the hillside. Her wings trembling from exhaustion and strain, Tessa set Audrey and herself down on a small plateau a few hundred feet above the path the little trio had chosen.

Lowering the now unconscious Audrey to the ground, the angel settled her against the smoothest outcropping she could find. Already huge dark bruises were forming on the girl's abdomen as she slowly bled out internally, but there was nothing the angel could do about that. Ripping strips from her now tattered tunic, Tessa scrounged for something to brace the teenager's leg with. Finding a couple sturdy but small branches, she trimmed them as best she could with her remaining knife. A rather crude task for the angelic weapon, she couldn't help but think sardonically. She still had her sword and her primary knife thankfully, but the rest were gone, probably from careening across the harsh desert ground on a couple of occasions.

After setting Audrey's leg, Tessa sat tenderly beside the teenager, finally letting herself rest and take stock of her own injuries. Her arms were incredibly scraped up, again, probably from begin flung onto the desert terrain, and her pants were ripped badly, revealing similar but more minor abrasions. The gash on her forehead was deep but had stopped bleeding for the time being, and a stabbing pain in her abdomen and chest made it hurt to move. The rest of her muscles just screamed bloody murder at her. She had wrenched her ankle when Gabriel had grabbed it, but she figured she could still walk on it if need be. Her wings seemed all right, the feathers having remained hard and battle ready, making them nearly indestructible. She could already feel the feathers softening as her battle instincts quieted. It was no matter though. If she gave her body a little time and some rest, it would heal quickly enough. It was one perk to being an angel.

It was several long minutes later when Charlie, Jeep and the baby reached the outcropping where Audrey and Tessa waited for them. The angel, feeling some of her energy returning after even that short rest, sat forward, her eyes questioning the couple. Charlie, who had nearly begun crying in relief at seeing the angel and the young woman beside her, came to kneel beside them, brushing a strand of hair from Audrey's pale face. Jeep knelt beside them all, taking Tessa's jacket from Charlie's shoulders and draping it gently over the teenager.

Tessa's eyes focused on the bundle in Charlie's arms. Noticing the angel's gaze with a small smile, she pulled back the makeshift blankets to show Tessa the peaceful, sleeping face of her son. Tessa sighed in relief, feeling something loosen in her chest knowing the baby was all right. Tears sprang to her eyes as the vision of Michael's death once again flashed before them. Scrunching her lids tight, she tried to banish the memory, but images of Audrey's broken body appeared instead. The girl was dying slowly, and there was nothing more Tessa could do about it.

A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder and she looked up to see Jeep looking down at her in friendly concern. Somehow, she managed give him a small, almost reassuring smile.

Still, it didn't do much to ease her broken heart.

**Well? Let me know what you think! I could've gone on a little longer, but I figured on cliffhanger in this fic was enough! :P Review please!**

**P.S., Some Gabriel/Tessa interaction in the next Chapter, so stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, this is it, the second last chapter. I really want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed. You guys definitely made writing this fic worth while. There'll be a small epilogue going up to round off this story, but I will try my best to work on the sequel that is rolling around in my head. It's not much more than a basic idea and a few individual scenes, but hopefully I'll be able to write it out this summer and post it for you! **

**Read and Review! I hope you all enjoy this!**

Chapter 8

A few moments after Charlie and Jeep reached the rocky ledge Audrey came to, the relief evident on her face when she learned everyone was all right. Tessa began to feel optimistic that they might be able to hold on. Her own wounds were already starting to heal and Audrey, though still in a horrendous amount of pain, didn't look quite as bad as she had when Tessa brought her to the plateau.

Her optimism was cut short though when Charlie cried out in terror as the angel prepared to get to her feet. Following the new mother's gaze, Tessa immediately recognized the form barreling toward them. Tessa tried to jump to her feet as Jeep pushed Charlie out of the way, but her injured ankle buckled beneath her. Jeep put himself in Gabriel's relentless path, allowing for Charlie to try and make a getaway.

The archangel all but crashed into boy, dealing him a sharp blow that knocked him to the ground. For a long moment Jeep didn't move. Gabriel turned to fix Charlie with a merciless stare. The mother and baby stood alone near the edge of the outcropping, a very angry archangel standing between her and Tessa. She spun, facing Gabriel with a look of panic on her face. He slowly walked towards her, his hand outstretched. Tessa struggled to get her feet under her, her ankle still refusing to support her weight in her haste. Gabriel's voice was quiet and intimidating, not revealing for a moment how he wished this was not how it had to end.

"Give me the child." Charlie shook her head, edging closer to the cliff-face, looking for a way out as her son wailed in her arms.

"No." Despair crept into Gabriel's face at her answer, but he managed to keep it from his voice.

"Then death will come to you both." He began to walk forward, but his approach was halted as Jeep flung himself at the angel, yelling as they collided. Charlie screamed as the two rolled across the plateau, propelled by Jeep's momentum, coming dangerously close to the cliff-face. Jeep landed on top, pushing Gabriel into the gravel with every ounce of strength he had but even injured as he was, Gabriel was still too strong. Pushing upward sharply with his arms, the archangel threw Jeep into the rock wall behind them, knocking Jeep senseless for a moment as he hit the ground. Standing, Gabriel pulled his knife from his boot, walking slowly toward the boy.

"Why do you continue to fight when you know all hope is lost?" The angel seemed genuinely mystified at Jeep's willingness to take on an angel as powerful as Gabriel. Jeep only had one thing to say as the archangel stood over him.

"Fuck you." Gabriel pulled back to strike, but before he could Tessa's boots connected with his chest, knocking him back with a pained grunt. She landed before him in a flurry of razor-edged wings. The archangel backpedalled, dodging her strike with relative ease. She stilled, standing battle ready before him.

Gabriel couldn't help but stare at her in anguished disbelief, something the others couldn't fail but notice. Tessa effectively stood between him, the boy, the child and its mother, ready and prepared to fight him. Her vivid blue eyes stood out on her dirt and blood-streaked face, glowing with grief and a deep, almost mindless fury. Gabriel recognized her pain, as he had a similar one gnawing at his own heart. What he had done, what he was duty-bound to do and what they had once shared stretched like a gulf between them. When he spoke, he could barely keep his voice steady as his emotions ran rampant.

"Why are you doing this, Teresa?" She trembled, though whether it was with grief or pain or memory he didn't know. She stared at him, tears beginning to creep silently down her face.

"Because mankind does not deserve this fate; they do not deserve to die. They can't have their hope stolen from them." Her voice was steady and calm, revealing her resolve to see this through. Gabriel was almost desperate to dissuade her from this path. He did not know if he could bear to kill her too.

"Tess—they burned you alive! How can you feel such compassion for them; compassion for which they do not deserve." The angel in front of him wavered a little as his words cut deep into her already fragile resolve. She was so tired.

"What they did to me does not matter anymore. The ones that killed me are long dead. What matters is that now, when I look upon the darkness that mankind has become, I cannot help but notice the beacons of hope in the night. I may still hate part of humankind for what they did to me, but the flickers of goodness I see are too precious and too good to be abandoned. Michael—" she choked a little at the mention of the man she loved, but she plowed on regardless, "Michael saw that; he showed me that. This child is the personification of hope for all mankind. I will not let you snuff him out." Her voice hardened as she finished speaking, her abhorrence of his mission clear for all to see.

A flicker of grief crossed the archangel's features, softening his cold, hard face as he stepped toward her. A single tear escaped as he cupped her cheek in his hand, looking down at the face of the woman he had come to love. Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on each of her eyelids.

"I cannot defy my orders; but I don't want to kill you," his voice was low as he spoke before pressing his lips to hers. One of her hands came to rest on his breastplate as she kissed him gently back for the sake of what they once had. She had loved him once and in her own way still did, even though Michael owned her heart. Conversely, he had never stopped loving her, even now that he knew her heart belonged to someone else. As she pulled away, he allowed her to push him back, his grief nearly overwhelming him. Regret and remorse stained her delicate features as she unsheathed her sword, not once breaking eye contact with her former lover.

"I am not afraid, Gabriel." Her voice was soft and sad as she prepared to fight him. In an instant the pain and sadness in Gabriel's face vanished to be replaced with grim determination. He was a creature of duty; not even his own feelings could dissuade him from his task. He tried to summon the anger at Michael for forcing his hand and for all but stealing his beloved, but he found he couldn't. His love for his brother was to great to be tainted by such base emotions as jealousy. Instead, he buried them as best he could, drawing on his conviction to see his mission through. He had never failed before when his Father bestowed his will on his Messenger, and he wasn't about to now.

"So be it." For a long silent moment they just watched one another, the compulsion to fight warring with the desire not to. Finally, as with Michael, Gabriel charged forward, preparing to collide head on with his opponent and overwhelm them with sheer force. This time though, he wasn't the only one with wings. With a powerful sweep, Tessa launched herself into the air, avoiding his attack, but he had already spun to meet her. As his knife met her sword, he shoved her, causing her to roll back, struggling to regain her footing because of her weakened ankle. He leaped forward as she got to her feet, but as he descended toward her, she fell back, catching him with her feet and using his momentum to send him flying over her, losing his knife in the process.

Jeep, using the distraction, had gotten to his feet, coming to kneel beside Charlie. The waitress had inched her way over to Audrey when Gabriel was talking to Tessa, and was now crouching beside the teenager. Both of them fearfully watched as their protector battled the angel that had killed Michael, shrinking into the rock wall at their backs. Trying to keep from being noticed, Jeep tried to get Audrey to her feet. The gesture was useless though, as there was no way the teen was going to walk anywhere anytime soon. She tried to get them to leave her but Charlie staunchly refused. She knew deep down that, if Tessa lost, it would be game over for all them, no matter how far they tried to run.

Gabriel had quickly recovered his footing, launching into a spin that brought his wingtips dangerously close to the trio trying to stay out of the battling angels' way. With a battle cry Tessa launched herself skyward again, her foot impacting Gabriel hard on the back as she descended. Forced to the ground, he flipped over onto his back just in time to dodge a vicious swing of Tessa's sword. As the blade buried itself in the earth, Gabriel crashed his elbow into the hilt, dislodging her grip. With a powerful kick of his own, he sent Tessa flying backwards. Using his legs to flip himself to his feet, he grabbed Tessa's sword, bringing it up with the intention of slashing it down upon her head.

Tessa anticipated his move, deflecting her own blade and elbowing out of his hand. She rushed forward, driving her knee into his stomach, but he absorbed the blow with a grunt, wrapping his arms around her waist and slamming her to the ground. She would've cried out as she felt more of her ribs crack but the air was forced from her lungs on impact. She pulled out her knife, but he knocked it away with ease.

Gabriel made to rise, but Tessa swung her leg around to crash into his skull. He flailed back, his wings pumping to help him regain his balance. Tessa struggled to her feet, her already limited strength waning. She spotted her sword laying on the ground a few meters away, the only hitch to reaching it was Gabriel. He stood between her and her sword, tying to predict her next move. With another yell, she propelled herself into the air, flipping over his head to land within perfect reach of her sword. Her fingers closing on the hilt she stood, whirling to meet the archangel.

She knew the moment she heard Audrey scream that she had miscalculated. Gabriel's left wing skidded along her breastplate, the metal screaming as one deflected the other. However, his right wing was angled differently. It sliced across her neck just below her collar. Stunned, she fell back, hitting the ground hard as blood started to flow from the wound. She lay on the ground as her breathing became laboured, her hand half-heartedly rising to the slash across her throat, her fingers coming away drenched with blood. She knew she had lost. It was deep enough to have killed a mortal, but she was an angel. It took a lot more to kill her. Still, it was enough to take her out temporarily as she healed, especially given the previous abuse her body had sustained. Her body was, in simplest terms, in shock and was abjectly refusing to move again. It was enough to give Gabriel an opening.

Sorrow once again present on his features, he stood over her, his knife once again in his hand, ready and waiting to finish her. He was refusing to let his tears fall, but as he looked down on his former lover, the look of calm acceptance on her face tore at him, ripping his tenuous resolve to shreds. His features twisting, he turned to the trio cowering against the rock face. Stepping over Tessa as she slowly lost consciousness, he walked purposefully toward Charlie and the baby, raising his knife as his features contorted in anguish. Audrey was despondent, not quite able to believe what had just happened.

"How could you?" Gabriel froze as the teenager voiced the thought his heart was lamenting. She glared at him, her fury lending strength to her weakening body. "You loved her and yet you fucking kill her! And now you're going to kill a baby? You fucking bastard! If you really loved her you wouldn't even think of doing this!" Gabriel felt his own fury and self-loathing blaze up into an inferno as his arm coiled to strike, a hoarse cry coming from his lips, giving voice to his misery and heartbreak. He felt like his very soul was shattering.

As he tensed to bring the knife flashing down, the heavens opened up, nearly blinding him with light. Charlie and Audrey screamed, trying to shield themselves while Gabriel staggering back. He flung his arms and wings up to protect his eyes as another winged form landed between him and the child. As the figure straightened, Gabriel lowered his arms, astounded beyond belief to see his brother standing there, whole, before him.

Michael stood in his full angelic glory before Gabriel, his features tranquil as his armour and restored wings gleamed in the unearthly light. Awe and disbelief flooded through him at the sight of his brother alive. Michael straightened as the initial burst of light faded, his pale-blue eyes appraising his brother. The hilltop plateau was silent as the two brothers stood staring at each other, not even noticing the others around them anymore. Gabriel couldn't believe his eyes.

"This can't be. You've disobeyed him." His words were soft and staggered with incredulity. Michael fixed his brother with a hard stare.

"You gave him what he asked for. I gave him what he needed." Gabriel suddenly felt the weight of what he had done descend upon him, making it hard to breathe. He could only stare at the ground, struggling to come to terms. His gaze shifted to Tessa's frightfully still form for the briefest instant. Self-loathing seethed through him, his face contorting in fury at what he had done. Michael, still watching him carefully, deliberately raised his sword, his own anger evident in his eyes. Gabriel charged, knowing before he even moved what was about to happen. He wasn't even sure he cared anymore, so he lunged forward anyway.

As he brought his knife down in a blazing arc, Michael deftly stepped to the side, slashing his keen blade low. Dropping slowly to his knees as his knife fell from his hand, Gabriel closed his eyes briefly as the pain across his belly bloomed to engulf his senses in agony. Michael steadily lowered his sword, the blade shining with a light coating of blood. He turned to face his brother, a firm resolve lighting his eyes. He lifted Gabriel's chin with the tip of his blade, not caring as the spectators watched on in astonishment.

The Messenger of God met his gaze without flinching, ready and willing to receive whatever justice Michael was prepared to give.

"Do it." Gabriel's voice betrayed his longing for Michael to take his retribution. Michael's desires visibly battled on his face; his sudden thirst for revenge verses the love and sympathy he bore his brother. Disobedience had never been an action that Gabriel was capable of, and he could see the toll it had taken on his brother's soul. Several long, tense seconds passed as the Archangel warred with himself. Gabriel was beginning to lose control, almost desperate for Michael to strike.

"Do it!" Grief replaced the conflict on Michael's face as he slowly began to shake his head, his sword dropping until the tip brushed the ground. More than duty ruled his heart, and the love he bore his brother was too deeply ingrained.

"No." His answer was almost to soft to hear as he slowly turned away, unable to bear the devastation on Gabriel's face. After a moment he sheathed his sword. The wounded archangel got to his feet, somehow managing to wrest his emotions in check.

"I would not have shown you such mercy." His tone was almost contemptuous, but to Michael that only showed how deep his brother's pain went. He refused to look at his brother.

"I know," Michael's voice hardened as his gaze fell on Tessa, "That's why you failed Him." Gabriel's eyes stayed focused on Michael while shame and sorrow threatened to overcome him again. He fell to his knees again with a heavy thud; unable to make himself move any further.

The instant Gabriel sank to the ground, Michael was at Tessa's side, not even caring to pay attention to the others. Charlie was beside him almost immediately, tears streaming down her face as the baby squirmed in her arms.

"Is she alive?" Charlie's quiet voice trembled. Jeep followed close behind, supporting a very weak Audrey. Michael took Tessa's face in his hands, stroking away the dirt and tears that marred her pale skin.

"Yes, just barely, but even now her body is healing." The new mother sighed in relief, but was quickly replaced with worry. Tessa's eyelids fluttered as if she couldn't decide whether to wake or sink deeper into unconsciousness. Taking her small hand in his own, Michael pressed it to his cheek as he willed her to open her eyes. Audrey, who was now sprawled out beside the unconscious angel, reached out and touched her hand, wrapping her fingers around Tessa's still bloodstained ones. When the teenager spoke her voice was weak and thick with tears.

"If she's healing, why isn't she waking up?" The wound on the angel's neck had already stopped bleeding, and many of her other injuries were already scabbing over thanks to her supernatural nature. But her breathing continued to slow, growing steadily shallower. She just didn't seem to want to wake up. Michael felt his grief threaten to overwhelm him as he gripped her hand tighter, pressing a desperate kiss to her leather-clad palm. Shifting, he pulled her into his arms, still holding her hand to his face.

"Please, Tessa." He rested his forehead on hers, squeezing his eyes shut, "come back to me. I'm right here." Time seemed to stand still, everyone on the plateau hoping against all hope for Tessa to hear him and open her eyes.

Slowly, her fingers flexed against his cheek. Michael's eyes shot open.

Tessa's eyelids fluttered again, and this time they opened revealing her clear-blue eyes. Confusion filled them only to be replaced with elated disbelief. Her fingers traced his features as she assured herself that he really was there before they dropped to lie over his heart. It was whole and beating beneath his breastplate, untouched by the spike that tore through it what seemed like an age ago. She lifted her eyes to meet his pale blue gaze, something she'd never thought she'd do again.

"I thought you were gone. I saw you die." Michael started to laugh quietly in relief, pulling her closer as her arms wrapped around him. He inhaled the scent of her hair, rejoicing at the feel of her in his arms. As he'd faced off with his brother he'd thought he would never have the opportunity to hold her again. As a result, he held her tighter.

"I thought I had lost you too." The two angels clung to each other with no inclination to part. Charlie laughed too, a watery smile lighting up her face as Jeep pulled her and the baby into a tight hug.

Audrey leaned weakly back against the outcropping of rock at her back, her own smile coming to her lips. Movement beyond the little cluster of people caught her eye. Looking over, she saw the hunched form of the defeated archangel. As he leaned back, she caught sight the profound relief suffusing his features. He looked over, inadvertently catching Audrey's gaze with his own.

The sorrow in his eyes was almost enough to make her weep, and the remorse moved her to forgive him without so much as a second thought. Even a few hours earlier, she could've never imagined forgiving him; she wouldn't even have considered it. But now, after witnessing what had happened on this forlorn plateau, doing otherwise seemed wrong.

From across the rocky outcropping, he somehow saw this in her pain-filled eyes, sitting straighter in bewilderment. He had nearly killed her on so many occasions this night that the thought of her forgiveness was beyond anything he could've imagined. Even now, he could see the faint glow around her that signaled how close to his realm she was. Her injuries were too severe, and he could tell she knew that. After a few more moments, she tore her gaze from his. He slowly got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his abdomen that threatened to keep him down. The young woman turned to the angels sitting just a few feet from her. As she spoke, her voice was thoughtful and almost too soft to be heard. Her breathing was becoming increasingly laboured, alarming Charlie and Jeep.

"Michael," The archangel looked up, the relief and joy on his face dimming as he saw the aura that was beginning to surround the teenager, "what . . . what happens . . . when you die? I mean . . . what's going to happen . . . to me? Will . . .will I see my . . . my parents?" Tessa pulled herself straighter, her attention focused completely on Audrey. Charlie gasped, her free hand flying to her mouth as Audrey spoke. Jeep looked at her in alarm.

"No. No, Audrey, we'll get you help." He glanced at the angels quickly, "right? We won't let anything else happen to you!" Audrey smiled faintly, her eyes losing focus.

"Thank you, Jeep . . . but it's alright . . . I'm not . . . I'm not going anywhere anymore." Tessa scooted forward, lifting the teen's face to meet her gaze. Neither spoke, a silent understanding passing between them. Tessa smiled faintly, stroking Audrey's hair back from her face.

"It will be all right. We'll be here to guide you." That's when she noticed Gabriel standing a few feet away. The archangel had moved closer to the little group, looking about as meek and small as someone of his stature could. Michael frowned a little at his brother's approach, while Jeep tensed, placing himself between the angel and Charlie. Gabriel likely would've grinned sardonically at the boy's action, but his attention was on the dying young woman in front of him. Audrey looked up at him placidly, her eyes surprisingly clear while her body was losing its fight to keep going.

"I will take her." Michael looked at his brother in bewilderment, while Tessa's face showed understanding. She had always seemed to understand him, especially when he was conflicted. Now, as he looked down on the broken and dying body of Audrey Anderson, he knew what he had to do. Jeep's frightened eyes turned from one angel to the next, not comprehending what was happening. Then again, as a mortal he wasn't likely to understand until his own death drew close. Charlie had moved out from behind Jeep to sit next to Audrey, holding the baby between them both. Audrey smiled as she looked into the tiny little face she'd helped to deliver. Feeling like her emotions were about to get the better of her again, Charlie leaned in, giving the girl a kiss on the forehead.

"I don't think you'll ever know just how grateful I am to you, Audrey." The teen laughed a little before the pain in her chest forced her to stop. It took a few breaths before she could find her voice.

"I didn't . . . do a whole hell of a lot . . . except cause trouble." The waitress wrapped her arm around Audrey's shoulders.

"You were willing to die for us. That is a lot." On the verge of tears, Audrey nodded, leaning into Charlie's embrace. She looked around at each of the people around her. Jeep nodded, afraid to speak should his emotions get the better of him. He felt he needed to be strong now for Audrey's sake. Tessa smiled reassuringly and Michael bowed his head in respect, his blue eyes kind and peaceful for the first time since he'd stepped out of the police cruiser days earlier. With a sigh, Audrey finally turned her eyes to Gabriel, who came to kneel beside her. He bowed his head for a moment, regret etched deeply into his features when he looked up.

"I am sorry for what has been done, and this is the least I can do." Audrey smiled a little, considering the penitent archangel beside her.

"It's enough." Gabriel leaned forward, picking up the teenager with more delicacy than one would expect from a man of his size. Without hesitation, she wound her arms around his neck, holding on even though there was no way he was going to let her fall. The others got to their feet as Gabriel stood, careful not to jar the young woman in his arms as her earthly body grew still where it lay on the rocky ground.

With one last look at the two angels and the two mortals, Gabriel launched the two of them into the air with one beat of his iron-grey wings.

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**There you go. All that's left is the epilogue. I really hope you've all enjoyed this story. It was a lot of fun to write and a really rewarding to post. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who favourited or subscribed to this story! **


	9. Epilogue

**A/N Well, here it is, the final chapter, sort of. A short little epilogue to just round things out. Once again, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this fic! I'm sorry there isn't more Audrey/Gabriel for those who were gunning for it, but if I ever get around to the sequel you may rest assure that there will be more there. :D I can't quite believe that this is it, but I hope you enjoyed this story! Stay tuned for the continuation that I will (eventually) post. I know this epilogue seems final, but I did write it before I decided to continue the story and didn't have the heart to mess with it.**

**Thank you to everyone who has made it this far and to everyone who has seen this story through from the first post!**

**As always, Read and Review!**

Epilogue

Time in Heaven passes differently than on Earth. That is how it has always been and how it will remain. It seemed as though a heartbeat had passed since the order was given, and the angels all sighed in relief as one. Michael's actions, helped in no small part by the actions of the soldier Tessa and the steadfast group of humans from the Paradise Falls Gas'n'Grub had averted the extermination of humankind. Their determination proved definitively that even some of the most flawed souls held the promise of goodness and selflessness that God had begun to believe them incapable, and that the beauty of the human soul was the flaw. They had forced him to stop and think, to reconsider, to wonder if Michael's insistence that guidance was what they needed most was truly enough to heal humanity's wounds and banish the darkness once and for all.

The angels who played pivotal roles returned to their rightful places, free to watch over humankind and the individuals who caught their attention. Despite the upheaval that persisted long after God's orders had been rescinded, Charlie and Jeep found a peace and happiness with each other that neither had ever truly believed they deserved. All the while their beloved son, Andrew (and his eventual siblings), grew under their loving and watchful eyes.

Though many of the souls who died in those pivotal three days found peace, Audrey, like many exceptional souls before her, gained her wings upon her entry to heaven. She lost none of her spunk as she left her mortal life behind her, though loving exasperation was soon a common reaction when she appeared. Gabriel was hard pressed to resist her wry humour and free spirit, eventually allowing himself to be a little less serious when she was around. He became her special project, the new angel vowing early on to get him to loosen up. Subsequently, he made it his special project to get her to take things a little more seriously.

As time wore on, Audrey came to prove more successful in her endeavor, though Gabriel was loath to admit it to anyone but her. More importantly, they allowed one another to heal from the wounds their souls had suffered, especially the ones from those pivotal three days in the desert. The bond they developed was powerful and lasting, something they both cherished deeply. It wasn't long until neither of them could imagine not having the other in their lives.

Tessa and Audrey came to love each other as sisters, their own bond nigh unbreakable for reasons beyond their comprehension. Despite the differences in their pasts, they intimately understood the pain the other carried deep down and the flaws that pain caused. Tessa showed Audrey the intricate workings of Heaven's Army and was as proud as any mentor when Audrey proved to be an exemplary fighter.

Michael resumed his position as the General of God's Army, his experience at Paradise Falls shifting his outlook ever so slightly. His already remarkable patience grew and the compassion he bestowed upon the humans below him deepened. His protective nature had been tested and tempered while the trust he once bore towards his Father and his kind healed. His deep, abiding friendship with Tessa continued, stronger than ever, while their love, fostered by the chaos though it was, endured far past the events in the Mojave Desert, where the even the legions of heaven hadn't been able to tear them apart.


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